Hundreds attend ‘Bans off our Bodies’ event downtown Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - “Bans off our bodies,” is the chant heard around the nation Saturday.

“We don’t want to be performative anymore. We can’t afford to be key board warriors,” said organizer, Julia Blake.

Demonstrations like this one are taking place in cities across the country. Calling them ‘Bans off our Bodies’ events.

We’re hoping with the momentum we take from today, we’ll be going to our local legislators. We have voting happening this month. It’s really important to get to the polls,” Blake said.

Julia Blake organized Lexington’s pro-choice rally. Hundreds downtown defending abortion rights following the leaked Supreme Court majority draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that protects a women’s liberty to choose to have an abortion.

“If we are really pro life, we have to protect the lives of women. Women who find themselves with a pregnancy that is life threatening. We cannot make abortion illegal,” said one attendee Stephanie Cherry.

Cherry and her friend Amy Figgs holding the same ‘Keep Abortion Legal’ signs women did back in 1973. Protesting the very same issue.

“It’s ridiculous that I’m protesting this currently,” Figgs said.

“Shocking, it’s shocking. We’ve lived through the time when women died from unsafe abortions. We know making abortion illegal doesn’t stop abortion, it stops the opportunity for a safe abortion,” Cherry added.

Protesters were met by five people holding ‘Jesus Saves’ signs, yelling the word ‘Repent.’ The large crowd of protesters had their own chants, saying women should have the right to choose what they do with their bodies.

“We aren’t doing anyone any favors by forcing someone to give birth.”

Protesters hoping to raise awareness for issues like homelessness, hunger and many others, as well.