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Hundreds attend abortion rights rally in Ann Arbor

The rally in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, May 21, 2019.
Tracy Samilton
/
Michigan Radio
The rally in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, May 21, 2019.
The rally in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, May 21, 2019.
Credit Tracy Samilton / Michigan Radio
/
Michigan Radio
The rally in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, May 21, 2019.

Hundreds of people gathered in Ann Arbor on Wednesday to support abortion rights.

Similar rallies were held across the country. That's after Alabama passed a law last week that makes performing almost all abortions a felony.

Other states have recently adopted bills that ban abortion after six to eight weeks.

Cecile Richards is the former President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She told the crowd to vote against anti-abortion legislators, and  President Trump, in 2020.

"Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures in this country, and it is still legal in the United States of America and we're going to keep it that way," she said.

About 30 anti-abortion protesters also attended, holding signs denouncing the procedure.

Michigan law bans abortions except to save the life of the pregnant woman, but it has not been enforced since the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which said such laws were unconstitutional.

Copyright 2019 Michigan Radio

Tracy Samilton covers the auto beat for Michigan Radio. She has worked for the station for 12 years, and started out as an intern before becoming a part-time and, later, a full-time reporter. Tracy's reports on the auto industry can frequently be heard on Morning Edition and All Things Considered, as well as on Michigan Radio. She considers her coverage of the landmark lawsuit against the University of Michigan for its use of affirmative action a highlight of her reporting career.