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Dozens in Florida protest against 6-week abortion ban, pro-life advocates share response [1]

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Date: 2023-04-16 13:26:00+00:00

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WHEN THEY GOT UNDER ATTACK TO LIVE SATURDAY’S RALLY ON PALM BEACH LAKES BOULEVARD WAS ORGANIZED BY THE DEMOCRATIC WOMEN’S CLUB OF PALM BEACH COUNTY AND COINCIDES WITH THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S MARCH DAY OF ACTION. WE NEED TO GET MAD. WE NEED TO SHOW THAT WE’RE MAD AND DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE THE WHOLE COUNTRY. I LIVED, YOU KNOW, I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN ROBBIE WADE WAS PASSED. SO FOR ME, IT’S HOW CAN WE GO BACKWARDS? HOW CAN MY GRANDKDS HAVE LESS RIGHTS THAN ME? WE KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE DON’T WANT THIS, AND IT’S TIME FOR THE PEOPLE TO RAISE THEIR VOICE AND ENGAGE IN MORE PEACEFUL CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE. HELP THEM. BUT IT’S NOT JUST WOMEN’S RIGHTS. DEMONSTRATORS SAY THEY’RE FIGHTING FOR, BUT WOMEN’S HEALTH. I’M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE DAYS WHEN ABORTION WAS ILLEGAL. I HAD FRIENDS WHO WERE VERY SERIOUS REPERCUSSIONS AS A RESULT OF ILLEGAL ABORTIONS. WE’RE REALLY CANNOT SIT BACK AND WATCH WHAT’S HAPPENING TO OUR STATE. I’M OUT HERE BECAUSE I’M HORRIFIED AT THIS REVERSAL OF HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN. I GREW UP IN PENNSYLVANIA. WHEN ABORTION WAS ILLEGAL IN PENNSYLVANIA FOR GIRLS WHO DIDN’T HAVE MONEY, THEY HAD TO DIE OVER THIS. AND IT’S TERRIFYING. AND THESE PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND THE TOLL IT’S GOING TO TAKE ON YOUNG WOMEN. BUT THE PRESIDENT OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTY RIGHT TO LIFE LEAGUE, WILLY GUARDIOLA, SAYS THOSE ARE JUST FEAR TACTICS. HE POINTS TO THE FLORIDA AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION’S REPORT THAT THERE WERE MORE THAN 82,000 ABORTIONS IN THE STATE LAST YEAR. AND HE SAYS THE NEW SIX WEEK ABORTION BAN DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH. THIS IS A HUMAN LIFE. THIS IS JUST BEYOND BELIEF THAT THIS CULTURE NOW IS JUST I MEAN, THE LEFT, THE LIBERALS HAVE JUST GONE OFF THE RAILS AND KILLING A HUMAN BEING, KILLING A BABY. IT’S JUST IT’S MURDER. YOU KNOW, THAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE. I’M SO TIRED OF ALL THESE DIFFERENT TALKING POINTS A

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Dozens of people made their voices heard on Saturday as they protested against the new six-week abortion ban in Florida, which was signed into law this week, pending a state supreme court ruling.A few dozen people gathered on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard in West Palm Beach to voice their opposition to the new ban. They said the ban goes against women’s rights and health care.Some anti-abortion advocates say they support the ban but don't think it goes far enough.Saturday’s rally was organized by the Democratic Women’s Club of Palm Beach County and coincides with the National Women’s March Day of Action."We need to get mad and we need to show we’re mad and this is going to change the whole country," said Ellen Baker, a board member of the Democratic Women’s Club of Palm Beach County. "I was in high school when Roe v. Wade was passed and so for me, it’s, how can we go backward? How can my grandkids have fewer rights than me?”"We know that the people don’t want this and it’s time for the people to raise their voice and engage in more peaceful, civil disobedience,” said Kat Duesterhaus, founding member of Occupy Tally and a board member of Florida's National Organization for Women.Related: 'Its impact will be felt across the Southeast': Lawmakers, activists react to Florida's 6-week abortion banOrganizers and demonstrators say it's not just women's rights they're fighting for, but women's health."I'm old enough to remember the days when abortion was illegal. I had friends with very serious repercussions as a result of abortions,” said Jeri Muoio, former mayor of West Palm Beach (2011-2019)."We really cannot sit back and watch what’s happening to our state,” Muoio said. "I'm out here because I’m horrified at this reversal of health care for women. I grew up in Pennsylvania, where abortion was illegal in Pennsylvania,” said Susan Foley, a former pediatrician and a demonstrator at Saturday's event. "The girls who didn’t have money, they had to die because of this."It's terrifying and these people don’t understand the toll it’s going to take on young women,” Foley said.The president of the Palm Beach County Right to Life League, Willy Guardiola, says those statements are just fear tactics. He points to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration’s report that there were more than 82,000 abortions in the state last year, and he says the new six-week abortion ban doesn’t go far enough."It should have been in effect four years ago," Guardiola said. "I was praying to God Gov. (Ron) DeSantis would have signed it into law in his first year as governor of Florida. Four years later, now we’re just getting around to it, so I think it’s a good move toward banning abortion in the state of Florida, which is my complete mission."This is a human life," Guardiola said. "This is just beyond belief that this culture now, I mean the left, the liberals — have just gone off the rails. I mean killing a human being. Killing a baby."It’s murder. That’s the bottom line. I’m so tired of all these different talking points and all. Abortion is murder, period."WPBF 25 News has reached out to the governor's office for a comment but so far, no response has been provided.The new six-week abortion ban is not law yet. The Florida Supreme Court has to hear a case upholding the 15-week abortion ban and if that’s upheld, the six-week ban could go into effect as early as July.State Rep. John Snyder (R) of Martin County provided the following statement:"When I ran for office, I made it clear to the voters of District 86 that I would always vote to protect unborn babies as a pro-life candidate. This week, I was proud to support the ‘Heartbeat Protection Act’ as we continue to stand up for the children and families of Florida. "This law also immediately provides additional services to support pregnant women and families."

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[1] Url: https://www.wpbf.com/article/dozens-west-palm-beach-protest-against-6-week-abortion-ban/43609041

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