Pro-choice supporters hold protest in Tomahawk
Rally follows Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade
By Jalen Maki
Tomahawk Leader Editor
TOMAHAWK – Roughly 75 people gathered on the corners of the intersection of N. 4th St. and Somo Ave. in Tomahawk on Sunday, July 17, to protest the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion in the United States.
The court’s 5-4 ruling, handed down on June 24, gives states the power to implement their own abortion laws. In Wisconsin, a law dating back to 1849 makes performing an abortion a felony, except when “necessary, or is advised by two other physicians as necessary, to save the life of the mother.”
Ahead of the Supreme Court’s anticipated reversal of Roe v. Wade, Governor Tony Evers called a special legislative session to overturn Wisconsin’s 173-year-old abortion ban. On June 22, Republican lawmakers in control of the State Senate and State Assembly took no action, quickly convening and adjourning the sessions in each chamber. In the State Senate, the session lasted roughly 15 seconds.
Following the sessions, a release from Evers’ office said the decisions of state GOP lawmakers and the Supreme Court “stand in stark contrast to the opinions of the people of Wisconsin and the United States,” citing a pair of Marquette University Law School polls in which nearly 60% of Wisconsinites and 70% of respondents from across the country said they support safe and legal access to abortion.
Attorney General Josh Kaul has said he will not enforce the state’s abortion law, and Evers has said he will grant clemency to doctors who are prosecuted for performing abortions in Wisconsin.
Tomahawk protest
Lindsey Lampe, who organized the protest in Tomahawk, said she did so because she is “a fierce supporter of the right to choose” and was “infuriated by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.”
“I personally know women who are still alive because they were able to get an abortion,” she stated.
Lampe explained that she and others at the rally wanted to the show the community that their neighbors and loved ones may be affected by the Supreme Court’s ruling, whether directly or indirectly. They also sought to inspire people to participate in this year’s August and November elections.
“We told stories from women in our community who have had an abortion or almost needed one due to rape or other reasons,” Lampe stated.
Although several counter-protestors staged a demonstration nearby, the protesters received encouragement from people passing by.
“Many cars drove past and gave us thumbs up, cheered or honked their horn in support,” Lampe noted.
Among those in attendance was Dick Ausman, a Democrat who is challenging Republican Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) to represent Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District.
Ausman said he was “glad to be able to lend a voice to the group and participate in their commitment to voicing their outrage over the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.”