Dozens of activists take to Main Street and rally at the Fassett Greenspace
By Andrew Harris
Saturday afternoon in downtown Wellsville was an inspired showcase of our first amendement rights. A peaceful gathering to make a strong point: Women deserve full autonomy over their own bodies.
That notion has been placed in serious doubt after the US Supreme Court struck down the four decades of abortion rights created by the landmark Roe v. Wade case. Since that time, over a dozen states have moved to outlaw the procedure, even in cases of rape, incest, or medical necessity. To say the least, pro-choice and equal rights activists are fired up and ready to make a serious impact on the next election, this wasn’t just a “woman’s march.”
The group gathered in the Main Street gardens at the Fassett Greenspace to make signs and listen to guest speakers before for the march through town in the early afternoon. High schoolers mixed with retirees, parents stood with grandparents, all clearly worried about the future.
Multiple speakers addressed the rally, from medical professionals to lifelong equal rights activists. Each speech was unique, but all demanded the same course of action: Get out and vote this November, or face a further loss of personal freedom and autonomy over your own body.
Because the speeches made were all powerful, tell great stories, and should be great reading: We will be publishing those speeches for the rest of the week. To preview our first speech, we will be hearing from Rebecca Weaver Hamm from Alfred who made an empassioned speech titled, “Family and Equality.”
