LANCASTER, Pa. — Hundreds gathered on the steps of the Lancaster County Courthouse on Wednesday for a pro-choice rally after a leaked U.S. Supreme Court opinion suggested the justices would overturn Roe v. Wade. The landmark case gave women the constitutional right to an abortion.
"I was raped when I was a teenager by my adopted father. Luckily I did not have to make that choice [of getting an abortion or not] but many women across this country do," said Amanda Welling, a protester who participated in the rally.
Another protester, Peggy Rushton, asked, "If a constitutional right can be absolved by some men one day, what's the next right that goes?"
Doris Berko is a 76-year-old woman who also stood in support of choice for abortions.
"I have granddaughters, and I do not want to leave this world in a man's hand that feels this way...It's wrong," said Berko.
Meanwhile, other Pennsylvanians don't feel the same.
"Roe v. Wade was a terrible decision made decades ago that was really kind of shackled and limited the discussion that we can have," said Alexis Sneller, the communications and policy officer for PA Family, a pro-life organization.
Sneller says women need to get away from the stigma that you have to have an abortion to live a happy, successful life.
"I can very comfortably say that, as a woman, if I get pregnant one day that that's no longer my body, that we're also looking at a fully formed person," she said.
Other pro-life supporters also expressed their support of banning abortions.
"If the Supreme Court ushers in a post-Roe era, I think that women will be empowered to make life-affirming decisions for themselves and their families," said Maria Gallagher, the legislative director for the Pennsylvania Pro Life Federation.
While it's too soon to say if the Supreme Court will overturn the Roe v. Wade decision, protesters in Lancaster made it clear that their voices will be heard.