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Demonstrators march at Utah State Capitol in support of abortion rights

Posted at 5:54 PM, May 08, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-08 20:11:04-04

SALT LAKE CITY — The leak of a draft earlier this week suggesting Roe v. Wade could be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court brought dozens of demonstrators to the Utah State Capitol on Sunday.

A Mother's Day march was organized by the Utah Alliance Coalition. The coalition's co-founder, Eleanor Sundwall, said this is the first time they've put on an event like this.

"I have two young daughters, and I felt motivated today to start this march because I am so angry that... there's no rally that could express my anger," said Sundwall.

Men, women and even children took a walk around the state capitol grounds. Chants of "my body, my choice" could be heard as many people carried signs, showing their displeasure over the possibility of the 50-year-old landmark decision by the nation's highest court being overturned.

Sundwall said it was important for her to put on this event as a way to march in solidarity and in support of women's rights.

"I want my two daughters to grow up in a world where they are not going to have to worry about whether they will be forced to carry a pregnancy if they are raped or if their lives are in danger from a pregnancy," she said.

FOX 13 News spoke with a member of the Women's Democratic Club of Utah, who wanted to remain anonymous. She said she feels like women's health care is going to be taken away.

"Now we're getting ready to ban abortion, I feel like it's an attack on women," she said.

She said people need to educate themselves on what she says is a very complicated issue.

"It's not a contraceptive method," she said. "It's more of a very logical, highly personal decision that women are making because they want to take care of the families that they already have."

Sundwall said she hopes the march allowed people to have conversations with the person walking next to them, make new connections, and ultimately develop a stronger and deeper sense of community.