“We want our voices to be heard”: Protestors line up in Jonesboro

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Standing up and having their voice be heard was the goal of Saturday’s protest in Jonesboro. People from all over Northeast Arkansas came out to put their foot down after Arkansas’ trigger law went into effect making abortions illegal in the state.

Danita Martin is a Jonesboro native who helped organize the protest and she says protests like this will help show others they are not alone.

“The more others see they are not alone in this the bigger the support is going to get,” said Martin. “They won’t silence us, we are going to speak up, this is not the end this is only the beginning.”

Hundreds of men, women, and children gathered at the Craighead County Courthouse showing their discontent with the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade

Steven Summers was one of the few men at the protest. He said if their group does not step up now he believes even more rights will be taken away.

“They want to revisit birth control, they want to revisit same-sex marriage, the criminalization of basically no marriage sex as well,” said Summers. “They are coming for that.”

He said although it may seem like this is an issue that does not affect him, he wanted people to know that this changes the lives of everyone.

“As a male, it may seem like I have any skin in that game,” said Summers. “I’ve got a mother I’ve got a wife and I have a sister and they all depend on that right to privacy that Roe versus Wade hinged upon.”

Many called Saturday’s protest just the beginning, as another group plans to hold another protest Sunday.

“You have to get out there and vote,” said Martin. “Vote like your life depends on it because in some cases it does.”

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