Stuart Park in downtown Kelowna filled up with more than 100 protesters Monday morning in the wake of a controversial ruling on abortion rights in the United States.
“We’re not just going to ignore the situation just because we’re in another country,” said protestor Alea Panis.
“Just because we’re in Canada doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen to us.”
Protests such as the one in Kelowna have been staged across Canada since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling last month.
“I don’t know if there should be any laws on anyone’s bodies as it’s not really the government’s position to be able to say anything on anyone else’s body,” said protester Brett Hammerschmidt.
The repeal of the 1973 ruling paves the way for U.S. states to ban abortions.
“I think it’s terrible. I think it’s horrendous. I think we’ve rolled back 50 years and it scares me,” said Sophie Harms, co-organizer of the protest. “And so I think instead of just being scared, we can do something about it.”
The demonstration was organized by Harms and Nyah Meller, two recent graduates of Okanagan College who feel passionate about the issue.
“I’m passionate because many of my family members have been sexually assaulted, unfortunately, and we were considered the lucky victims. We weren’t pregnant from our abuser, thankfully. But that’s not the case for every single woman,” Meller told Global News.
In addition to bodily rights, organizers said the protest was aimed to highlight another key issue, abortion accessibility.
“For the Okanagan, here’s only one publicly listed clinic for abortions for the whole valley,” Harms told the crowd.
Meller said not only can access be limited, for some people it is costly too.
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“In New Brunswick, actually, the provincial government won’t give access, won’t cover the abortion cost if it’s outside of the hospital,” Meller said.
“And because there’s such a high demand, many people can’t go to the hospital to get an abortion, so they have to go to Clinic 554 and they have to pay $700, up to$850 for an abortion, which is not possible for everybody when you’re low income or from a different community.”
Monday’s protest also drew a handful on anti-abortion protesters who normally demonstrate outside of Kelowna General Hospital.
“I was made aware of the fact that there were people who are in favor of abortion and against the Roe versus Wade turning around,” said anti-abortion protester Kathy Hein. “And we just wanted to make sure that the whole community doesn’t think that this is what everybody feels is the right thing to do. There is the other side too.”
The pro-life advocate said there are many supports in place for pregnant women and there needs to be better awareness for all the resources available instead of abortion options.
“I know many have very difficult circumstances. I’m not saying it’s not a hard thing, but I think we’re creating a very harsh society, when in order to have my way I’m willing to destroy a human life, a helpless human life,” Hein told Global News. “I think it’s just not a good way to have a society operating.”
When asked about unwanted pregnancies due to sexual assaults, Hein said it still comes down to what she called a ‘defenseless’ child.
“In sexual assault, you still have a defenseless child involved who had absolutely nothing to do with the assault,” Hein said. “It’s a person. I mean, I can’t be held responsible for what my father would do. He could be the most wicked person on the planet … don’t I have a right to life because I am a separate individual?”
The pro-choice protesters don’t see it that way, arguing everyone should have body autonomy.
“I will fight this until it’s OK in all countries,” Meller said.
“Every person should have the choice to their body and to have an abortion if they need one without being you know, diminished by people from the church, from the state, from anything. It’s our body and it’s our choices.”
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