Matthew Kaplan Photography

Abortion Rights Rally - Highland Indiana - 5/14/22

"Baby Killers!!" yelled a man in a red car on Ridge Road, as supporters of abortion rights demonstrated on the corner of US 41, near the memorial flame in Wicker Park. Angered and energized by the Supreme Court draft decision of Justice Alito which appears likely to end almost 50 years of women's constitutional right to have an abortion, dozens of protestors from throughout the Calumet Region gave speeches, chanted slogans, and held up signs to the passing traffic at this busy crossroad of two major highways.

Dubbed the "Battle of the Womb" by one of the organizers Just Transition NWI (@justtransitionnwi), speakers at the rally blasted justices on the high court, and lambasted both political parties for allowing matters to come this point.

"We were told to elect Obama and things would change? Did they change?" asked one speaker. "No!" came the answer. "We were told to vote out Trump and things would change. Did they change?" she continued. "No!" came back the reply.

(Parenthetically, and personally, I find this "both sides are bad" rhetoric rather disturbing as I think the only way to try to counter the effects of this dreadful decision is to elect more Democrats in the House and Senate. And I want turnout to be high for Democrats nationwide, not discouraged and apathetic.)

"We are fighting for freedom! No one has the right to tell me what I can do with my body!" emphasized a woman speaker. "

We are pro-lives! Women's Lives!" added a third.

A number of middle fingers were directed at the group, from cars who were waiting on Ridge Road for the long red lights to change. But most of the responses I heard were honks of approval, with waves too, and some thumbs up.

As I was taking pictures from the traffic island on Ridge Road, a Black man in a "Trump 2024" baseball cap, drove by and yelled to me "Trump for President!". Another disturbing sign.