Hunter
06/25/22
Hundreds of women, men and children gathered on the Pentacrest in downtown Iowa City Friday night to protest the Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion rights.
The ruling, which means states can now choose whether to allow abortion access, was not unexpected, as a draft was leaked earlier this year.
Following remarks from organizers, the crowd marched through the streets of Iowa City for about an hour, chanting phrases like “my body my choice,” and “vote out Kim Reynolds.”
A similar protest in Cedar Rapids also drew a large crowd, and a pedestrian was injured by contact with a vehicle near the Federal Courthouse.
According to the Cedar Rapids Police, a group of protesters were attempting to legally cross the street in front of the Courthouse when the traffic lights changed, giving right of way to vehicles on 8th Avenue. Following verbal confrontations between the protestors and a driver, contact was made between a vehicle and one of the pedestrians.
KGAN TV spoke with the victim, identified as Alexis Russell, who said the truck got impatient and charged into the crowd. People were trying to push the truck back; Russell said she got involved and the driver grabbed her sign, ripped it, pushed her down and drove off, running over her foot.
Russell was interviewed on-scene by CRPD and then taken by private vehicle to a local hospital to be checked out. The driver of the vehicle was also voluntarily interviewed by Cedar Rapids Police.
Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell issued a statement, saying, “(Friday’s) Supreme Court decision is likely to elicit strong opinions. What we must do as a city is come together, especially in times like these. The Cedar Rapids Police Department is conducting a thorough investigation into tonight’s incident. We all have a right to our opinions, but we must act in a peaceful and respectful manner.”
Authorities say more information will be made available when possible.