Dozens of Vermonters gather for vigil supporting abortion rights

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (WCAX) - Dozens of people gathered in Essex Junction on Tuesday for a vigil in support of abortion rights.

Women’s reproductive rights are in the spotlight after a leaked draft opinion suggests the nation’s high court may be preparing to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion.

Protests started at the U.S. Supreme Court overnight and have popped up across the country, including in our region.

People gathered at the Five Corners in Essex Junction Tuesday, holding signs that said things like “My body, my choice,” and “Freedom to choose.”

Cars passing through the state’s busiest intersection honked to show support multiple times a minute.

The vigil was organized by a group called Essex Resists. Organizer Kelly Adams says the group and community members demonstrated because they say this draft ruling treats half the country as not being people.

“We want to be a visible presence in our community. First of all, so people know they’re not alone. They’re not isolated and the feelings that they’re having. And second of all, to make it very clear, we’re not going back. We’re not going backward in time. Things aren’t gonna be worse for my daughters than they were for my mother,” Adams said.

Adams says Vermont does generally have a pro-choice environment but there’s concern on how national decisions can impact us locally.

In November, Proposition 5 is on the ballot. That would enshrine the right to an abortion in the Vermont Constitution, regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision on the Roe v. Wade case.

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