Pro-choice rally held at U.S. consulate in Toronto in wake of Roe vs. Wade overturn
Dozens of people gathered outside the U.S. consulate in downtown Toronto Saturday to protest a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court to overturn constitutional protection for abortion rights.
Protester carried placards and chanted slogans to protest the decision, which overturns the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case, which legalized abortion.
The decision is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half of U.S. states.
Speaking with CP24 outside the consulate, the chair of Democrats Abroad Canada said she’s worried about what the move means for women’s health and freedoms.
She said she greeted the decision Friday with anger and fear but that has since turned to action.
“We’re mobilizing, we’re registering voters, we’re finding those Americans that are here,” Erin Kotecki Vest said, pointing out that there are more than half a million Americans living in Canada who are eligible to vote in the U.S.
She said the primary goal of the protest is to raise awareness about the decision.
“We need to get more people aware of what’s going on and to get those Americans that are here in Canada registered to vote because that’s the only thing that’s going to change this,” Kotecki Vest said. “Canadians voting and Americans voting, that’s the number one thing to do.”
She said while Canadians and Americans living here tend to feel insulated from the abortion debate south of the border, people should not take their freedoms for granted.
“One of the reasons we love living in Canada so much is that we think we don’t have to fear what’s happening south of the border, that we can kind of skirt that a little. But as you’ve seen it’s starting to creep up,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality alerts issued as wildfire smoke spreads east from Western Canada
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
LIVE UPDATES Michael Cohen will face a bruising cross-examination by Trump's lawyers at the hush money trial
Donald Trump’s fixer-turned-foe returns to the witness stand Tuesday for a bruising round of questioning from the former president’s lawyers.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Risks of handcuffing someone facedown long known; people die when police training fails to keep up
For decades, police across the United States have been warned that the common tactic of handcuffing someone facedown could turn deadly if officers pin them on the ground with too much pressure or for too long.
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
Sunchips, Munchies recalled by Frito Lay Canada for possible salmonella contamination
Frito Lay Canada is recalling two of its most popular snacks due to a possible risk of salmonella contamination.