On Thursday, April 14, there were flash protests and rallies in cities across the country called for by Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights, declaring: “We Are All Lizelle Herrera! We Refuse to Let the Supreme Court Take Away Abortion Rights! Abortion On Demand and Without Apology! Forced Motherhood = Female Enslavement!”
Credit: @RiseUp4AbortionRights, including photos from New York Courtesy Laura Jane Brett Photography.
See videos and pictures from these protests here.
Lizelle Herrera, 26 years old, was arrested in Texas on April 8 and charged with murder for allegedly inducing her own abortion. Her bail was set at $500,000.
A statement from RiseUp4AbortionRights.org said:
After public outcry, Lizelle was released and charges against her dropped. But tremendous harm was already done. Lizelle was put in handcuffs, locked in a jail cell, called a "murderer," shamed and demonized before the whole world.
A message of TERROR was sent to ALL women everywhere, especially undocumented women in the Rio Grande Valley now that abortion is banned in nearly all circumstances across Texas. These women now must fear going to the doctor with complications from self-induced abortions or even miscarriages, even if their life is at risk.
What happened to Lizelle is NOT some anomaly. It is the logical outcome of banning and demonizing abortion which is what the Supreme Court is on track to do this spring.