Dozens of supporters filled the sidewalks at the Broad and Higuera intersection in downtown San Luis Obispo on Jan. 22 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the United States Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade, which legalized a woman’s right to obtain an abortion. Most of the crowd consisted of women who remembered the immense impact the ruling had on women’s rights in 1973. Some said they came to the rally to raise awareness and express concern that many young women today don’t fully understand the case’s importance or the nature of pre-Roe v. Wade repression. Several noted that women’s reproductive rights were frequently under attack throughout the 2012 discussions of the federal health-care overhaul. Rich Saenz, secretary to the Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties board of directors, said that his organization planned the rally and notified supporters through e-mail. “Women’s rights are always under attack,” he said. “Many states are defunding Planned Parenthood.” The rally lasted from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., and participants said they got nothing but support from passing pedestrians and motorists.
This article appears in Jan 24-31, 2013.