ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — More than a hundred people took over the streets of St. Petersburg Wednesday to protest the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe V. Wade.
PSL Tampa organized the protest and march. It started and ended at City Hall. The group wanted to stand up for women’s rights, and demanded abortion as a human right.
It’s a choice Kylie Ciucci will choose every time. She had an abortion at 18-years-old.
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“I was absolutely not ready to have a child, so it wasn’t something medically, but just financially and just for my future,” Ciucci said. “Every woman should have a choice. Every person.”
She said she was devastated after learning the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade.
“The Supreme Court made a really unfortunate decision,” Ciucci said.
The group marched for almost an hour, affecting traffic along the way. They also protested the new abortion law that goes into effect in Florida on July 1, which bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
“I’m afraid it’s not going to stop here,” Ciucci said. “So that’s why I’m out here today.”
John Stemberger is the president of Florida Family Policy Council, a pro-life organization in the state. He said the Supreme Courts decision is overdue.
“We want to view this issue like we view slavery, like how can we ever do that, it’s so unimaginable,” Stemberger said. “Probably the most important decision the Supreme Court has ruled in 100 years.”
Stemberger adds adoption is the better option.
“There’s no need for women to destroy their children when they can give birth to their children,” Stemberger said. “We have literally tens of thousands of parents going overseas to adopt kids every year.
Ciucci wondered what’s next.
“It just makes me scared for not only women’s rights, but LGBTQ+, interracial marriage has come up as well,” Ciucci said. “So it’s just really frightening.”