Community members come together for Women’s March Indy to discuss newly passed abortion laws

INDIANAPOLIS — On Saturday afternoon, a group of central Indiana residents came together at MLK Park to take part in Women’s March Indy.

The group is continuing to push for changes following the overturning of Roe v Wade.

“I feel like women are getting treated as second class citizens and we are not. We should have equal rights and equal say over our bodily autonomy just like men do,” Hollie Payton said.

It’s been one year since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, and on Friday the Indiana Supreme Court ruled that the state’s near total abortion ban is constitutional.

The law bans abortion in the state. Exceptions are available only in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape or incest and in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy if needed to save the mother’s life or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality.

“Disheartened. Utter disbelief that they did come to this decision. Like I said, we should have bodily autonomy — all uterus owners. I just believe it’s asinine for the Indiana Supreme Court to come down with this ruling,” Payton said.

“I always say when something like that isn’t shocking on some level, I won’t know who I am anymore. I’m not surprised,” Monique Rust, organizer of the march, said.

Although the law was ruled constitutional, it will not go into effect until Aug. 1, unless the ACLU requests a new hearing which would delay the bill once again.