#StopTheBans Group Shows Up For Abortion Rights In Tucson

TUCSON, AZ — A group of several dozen gathered at the Jacome Plaza in downtown Tucson Tuesday opposing recent anti-abortion laws passed in several states as part of an organized day of action to "stop the bans."

The group, mostly made of women and a few men, waved signs to drivers heading south on Stone Avenue. Some honked and yelled words of support. The scene was mostly matched by the usual lunch crowd and somewhat eclipsed by the ambient live band playing in the background.

Traci Joy, a recent Tucson resident who moved here from the Bay area four months ago, said she was "appalled" by the wave of abortion restrictions passed

In several states. Kariza Lopez, a Tucson native, echoed what everyone had to say: "My body, my rights."

Similar, if not more energized, scenes played out in cities across the nation to protest what many see as an overall strategy to dismantle Roe v. Wade.

"Across the country, we are seeing a new wave of extreme bans on abortion, stripping away reproductive freedom and representing an all-out assault on abortion access. This is Trump’s anti-choice movement… and it’s terrifying, particularly for women of color and low-income women who are most affected by these bans.," written in a statement posted by the Arizona #StopTheBans page.

In Phoenix, members of Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and abortion rights activists met at the Capitol steps Tuesday morning. In all, more than 50 organizations are involved in the national movement, who planned more than 350 events in various cities. Most prominent among the protesters were women wearing red robes, a symbol in Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel, The Handmaid's Tale.

Arizona activists point to the fact pre-Roe v. Wade bans on abortion and restricted birth control are still on the books as laws in the state. Right now, those rules aren't enforced, but advocates say that could change if a ruling by the Supreme Court challenges Roe. v. Wade.

Arizona's senators Martha McSally and Kirsten Sinema both agree the recent laws passed in Ohio and Alabama are extreme, even though both are pro-choice and pro-life, respectively.

Sen. McSally dodged specific questions about Alabama's new law, saying it was a "state issue," but is on record agreeing with the right to an abortion in the case of rape, incest or if a birth would threaten the life of a mother.

“Those three exceptions really matter to me and I believe in the sanctity of life,” Sen. McSally told 12 News. "But as someone who recently revealed, I’m a survivor of rape as well those three exceptions are really important. So I don’t understand why they don’t have those exceptions and I think that is too extreme.”

In Washington, D.C., Democratic Presidential Candidates gathered at the steps of the Supreme Court to express similar views.

“This is the beginning of President Trump’s war on women,” said New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

“We will not stand for this attack on human rights,” Booker said to cheers from protestors.

“Abortion is health care, it is a woman’s constitutional right, and people in every state in this counry are ready to defend that right,” Bernie Sanders tweeted during the rally.

Back in Tucson, the scene was mostly agreeable right until the end when everyone started to wrap up.

A man walked across the street and started asking about men's rights and the Bible. Three women holding signs immediately started yelling back, barely noticeable over the acoustic guitar being strummed nearby.