Nearly 300 people gathered at Montana's Capitol Tuesday to protest the ongoing dismantling of reproductive rights in the state and across the country, following a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion indicating that the historic Roe v. Wade ruling will likely be overturned.
"It's very frightening," Helena resident Beth Cottingham said in an interview following the protest. "This has been a right for 49 years, and its only the beginning."
The Supreme Court Justices are expected in June to overturn the 50-year-old landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that guarantees the federal right to abortion, and a possible Republican supermajority in the state Legislature will likely push stricter state laws on abortion.
Three laws passed in 2021 altering access to abortion in Montana are now in limbo while a Planned Parenthood of Montana lawsuit challenging them is settled.
Helena resident Mary Beth Garding, who also attended Tuesday's rally, lamented the partisan nature of the issue.
Montana's Constitution protects access to abortion, though it's being challenged in court.
Gary Marshall, BMGphotos.com
"This shouldn't be a partisan issue," Garding said, citing Republicans' historical support of abortion access during previous challenges to the ruling. "This is about human rights."
Helena resident Shani Henry attended the protest in judge's robes and a Ruth Bader Ginsburg bun. Henry said the large crowd that assembled on short notice is indicative of the level of frustration among some Americans and Montanans.
"People were fearful this was going to come and they're ready to stand up and fight for their rights," she said, adding that like them, she is "nauseated about a potential reversal."
Still, Garding said she managed to find the positive.
"This is a positive situation in that we're standing here with all these people," she said.
Henry said she hoped those in attendance Tuesday, or even just passersby, would walk away with "motivation to stand up, speak up. Motivation to vote appropriately for candidates who support women's reproductive rights."
Cottingham said the only way forward is together.
"We just have to be talking," she said. "We have to come together. It isn't the impossible dream."
