Wausau Pilot & Review

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets Sunday in Wausau to voice their opinion on abortion in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v Wade.

On June 24, the Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that affirmed the constitutional right to abortion, forcing immediate trigger bans in some states. Wisconsin’s 173-year-old abortion ban is now in effect, making abortions illegal unless the procedure is necessary to save a patient’s life, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. Abortion remains legal in Illinois and Minnesota. In Michigan, the issue could be left up to voters.

Stacy Schulz, a protester from Stevens Point, told Wausau Pilot & Review that she didn’t vote in previous elections but is motivated to do so now.

“I don’t think I ever really thought this day would come, that we would see the end of reproductive rights because of politics,” Schulz said. “Unfortunately, unless something changes, it feels like this is just the beginning. We need people to create change that protects us, not takes us back, to a dark history.”

Attendees from both sides of the debate attended Sunday’s rally, while protesters marched across the Scott Street Bridge in a circle that began and ended at The 400 Block.

Anna Thompson, a pro-life demonstrator, said she is happy and relieved that Roe was finally overturned.

“They just don’t get it,” she said, pointing to a group of women holding protest signs. “This is a moral issue that has nothing to do with politics.”

Speakers shared their stories with the crowd and encouraged attendees to vote in upcoming elections to ensure their voices are heard. Others called on state lawmakers, Congress and President Joe Biden to do more.

“We can’t wait for another election cycle, and then another and another,” said one protester. “We need action now.”

An executive order signed last week by the president appears to have little effect in the state. The order calls for some protections for people seeking abortions, but it does not restore abortion itself in Wisconsin.