Protesters took to the streets July Fourth outside of the Monroe County Justice Building, calling on local leaders to take action protecting abortion rights.
Families cheered and others heckled as pro-abortion rights protesters marched through the July Fourth parade. The protesters stopped outside of the justice building to address Monroe County Prosecutor Erika Oliphant.
“We wanted to show our presence and then bring that presence specifically towards Erica Oliphant,” said Ashley Culbertson, an organizer for the Party of Socialism and Liberation.
Oliphant recently released a statement on the overturn of Roe v Wade, saying that she cannot legally or ethically proclaim a blanket refusal to prosecute a specific crime.
Culbertson said that while she understands, she thinks prosecutors like Oliphant need to closely evaluate the rules they are holding themselves to.
“This is a holiday that’s supposed to celebrate independence. It’s supposed to celebrate freedom. And right now is a moment that we see people’s freedoms being very, very quickly stripped away,” Culberson said.
The protest was also targeted toward other recent Supreme Court rulings, including the decision to limit the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
“It’s a matter of life and death for a lot of us out here,” Culbertson said.
