Protesters filled Peoria Courthouse over Roe v. Wade decision

PEORIA (WEEK) - The courtyard of the Peoria courthouse was flooded with protestors - their signs and chants demanding women’s rights.

“If you don’t have autonomy over your body then you’re not a full citizen you’re not free,” Member of the Peoria Democratic Socialist of America Christina Norton said.

The protest was ignited by the US Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe V Wade. A decision that stripped the federal right to an abortion away from Americans.

“It’s almost like throwing out the baby with the bath water if I can say that. To say that all abortions should be banned is really not very thoughtful,” one protestor said.

States made or were in the process of making abortions illegal or heavily restricted.

“Even though we’re voting every four years it’s not enough to keep our rights intact. We need to be out here showing who we are politically involved and what we want politically,” Member of the Peoria Democratic Socialist of America Noah Palm said.

Speakers told their stories and inspired the crowd.

Headed by the Peoria Democratic Socialist protestors said, while Illinois was not a state that threatened to lose abortion rights, they still stood behind those who would.

“If there’s an attack on one of us it’s an attack on all of us in the working class so everyone has to stand up when any of our rights are attacked,” Member of the Peoria Democratic Socialist of America Anthony Walraven said.

Members said The protest was just step one of the fights to restore abortion rights and they planned to have fundraisers and future protests.

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