Thousands of New Jerseyans rally on ‘Bans Off Our Bodies Day of Action’ protest
PLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTION FUND OF NEW JERSEY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thousands of New Jerseyans rally on ‘Bans Off Our Bodies Day of Action’ protest
Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey and partners hold rally in Princeton as part of national actions across the country
PRINCETON, New Jersey — Today, Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey (PPAFNJ) and partners mobilized over a thousand supporters of abortion rights supporters from across the Garden State to attend a day of action, rallying and protest. The protests are in response to a leaked draft decision by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Alito, which would overturn Roe v. Wade — a devastating decision would open the floodgates on abortion bans in states across the country. The event in Princeton is part of a national day of action, happening in cities and towns across the country.
The diverse crowd of reproductive health and rights supporters — hailing from all corners of the state — spanned every demogragphic, from age to race to immigration status to sex/gender identity and more. Gathering at Hinds Plaza in Princeton, the New Jerseyans called on legislators to take immediate action to strengthen protections of — and expand access to — abortion care. This follows Gov. Murphy’s powerful announcement, on Wednesday, committing to breaking down barriers to abortion care in New Jersey, in order to ensure that abortion care is accessible to all, regardless of zip code, income, or insurance or immigration status.
Speakers at the rally included reproductive health providers, public officials, and New Jerseyans who shared how access to reproductive health care will impact their lives. Elected officials included U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Assemblyperson Sadaf Jaffer. Organizations that endorsed and helped organize the rally include Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey, Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice, Cherry Hill Women’s Center, Latino Action Network Foundation, League of Women Voters of New Jersey, National Council of Jewish Women – Essex County Section, New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence, Ocean Health Initiatives, and Our Revolution Middlesex.
“Understand that Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey and our partners have been preparing for every possible outcome in this case and are built for the fight. We will continue to fight like hell to protect the right to access safe, legal abortion – and we know YOU WILL TOO.” — Cory Neering, Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey
“The power is in the hands of the collective. We, the people, have to stand up whenever our rights are being threatened. We are not going to allow this. Together we can do anything. Nothing will stop us.”
— Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman
“We do this work out of love; out of the belief that everyone deserves to make their own decisions about their own bodies; out of the belief that everyone is entitled to comprehensive sexual health education free from stigma and judgement; and out of the belief that people are entitled to the decision to have kids or to not have kids.”
— Nadya Khan, Rugters Planned Parenthood Generation Action
“We are tired of fighting but we are fueled by our outrage and guided by the activists that came before us. We will not back down and we will not go back.”
— Jesse Burns, League of Women Voters of NJ
“We must stay vigilant and we must make our voices heard. Attacking Roe v. Wade is just the beginning…we are not ready to give our freedoms up. We will not let the government impose their will on our bodies.”
— Robt Martin Seda-Schreiber, Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice
Additional quotes from the rally are available at https://twitter.com/
Video recording is available at https://www.facebook.com/
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Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey (PPAFNJ) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(4) non-profit social welfare organization, and the advocacy arm of the Planned Parenthood Affiliates in New Jersey. We advocate for access to essential health care through education, activism, voter engagement, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy. For more information, visit our website at: www.ppactionnj.org.
