KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Hundreds of people marched through downtown Knoxville Saturday afternoon, holding signs and chanting their support to keep abortion legal.
The march was called "We Won't Go Back! Knoxville Rally to DefendRoe." They gathered in Krutch Park, near Market Square and displayed signs advocating for lawmakers to "protect safe, legal abortion."
It was organized by the Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood, with similar marches also being held in cities across the state. They organized the "Bans Off Our Bodies: March in Defense of Abortion" movement, with demonstrations across the state.
They said it was organized in response to a Texas law that prevents abortions early in a woman's pregnancy and deputized average citizens to enforce it.
According to several reports, the law could be linked to more maternal deaths and self-induced abortion deaths. Advocates have also raised concerns about deputizing citizens to enforce it, saying that it could give people financial incentives to harm vulnerable women and others who may seek abortions.
Organizers of the demonstration warned that other states could follow Texas, passing similar laws. Advocates have also said that the law blocks women's access to healthcare and abortions, "rendering Roe v. Wade effectively meaningless in Texas."
"We are facing a possible total abortion ban in Tennessee within a matter of months," organizers of the demonstration said. "The right to determine for yourself, without government interference, when and if you will become a parent has never been at greater risk in the US."
The demonstration started at 2 p.m. with other events planned at the Tennessee State Capitol, Chattanooga, Memphis, Murfreesboro and Cookeville.
