Roe v. Wade protest, march planned Saturday afternoon at Abilene park

A protest and march has been organized for late Saturday afternoon in Abilene, inspired by the recent Roe v. Wade overturn by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The event will be from 4-8 p.m. at Everman Park downtown. A march that champions reproductive rights will take place, likely around 6 p.m. said Crystal White, the event organizer. She lives in Ranger and has received local assistance to stage the event, which will feature 11 speakers giving personal testimonies.

A primary local contact is Elizabeth Smyser, who heads the Taylor County Democratic Party.

White said she chose Abilene to take advantage of event support here.

And, she said, there are people who "would want to come out and share their stories and not be afraid to speak out.

"It's going to be loud. We want people to understand this is not something we are taking lightly."

White noted restrictive abortion laws in Texas and the need to get voters out to change state leadership and address the current "turmoil."

"We are doing our best to really reach out to the voters like me who have never voted before because we stay out of politics simply because it's too much drama," White said.  "We don't have the luxury of sitting around and waiting anymore. We need things to change. We are not going to let others talk over us when we understand the educated view of what is going on and what's going wrong with our state governor right now."

She is a mother of three but said she was in an abusive relationship with a man who "forced me to be pregnant with my first two children" during a five-year relationship. She said he split her head open twice, and she was terrified to marry the man.

He now is in prison for eight years, she said.