Hunter
09/30/24
Saturday was International Safe Abortion Day, as activists marched through downtown Iowa City while state residents deal with the new limits on access to abortion care.
The Daily Iowan reports a small group marched from Hickory Hill Park to College Green Park. The group walked past the Emma Goldman Clinic and through downtown Iowa City.
The march to support access to safe abortions was in response to the Iowa Supreme Court allowing a state law banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat has been detected to go into effect.
A September Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll found that the 59 percent of Iowans and 69 percent of Iowa women oppose the near-total abortion ban.
Mandi Remington, founder of the Corridor Community Action Network and Democratic candidate for a seat on the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, spoke at a subsequent gathering in College Green Park. She said the new legislation reflects a troubling pattern of restricting healthcare access, including gender affirming care for youth. She urged the gathering to vote for candidates who prioritize reproductive freedoms, and healthcare freedoms in general.
International Safe Abortion Day began in 1990 and evolved into a global day of action for access to safe and legal abortions.