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Rallies held throughout South Florida after Roe v. Wade decision

Pro-choice statements on display in West Palm Beach, Delray Beach; pro-life supporters gather in Fort Pierce
Participants in pro-choice rally at Old School Square Park in Delray Beach, June 24, 2022
Posted at 8:01 PM, Jun 24, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-25 04:40:01-04

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Rallies were being held throughout South Florida on Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, stripping the nation's constitutional protections for abortions and turning them over to the states.

Hours after the justices voted 6-3 to uphold a restrictive Mississippi law, rallies were taking place in downtown West Palm Beach and Delray Beach, among others, with people holding signs and vocalizing their opposition to the decision.

WPTV's Josh Navarro was in downtown West Palm Beach, where opponents gathered near the waterfront, while WPTV's Todd Wilson was at Old School Square Park in downtown Delray Beach.

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Supporters of a woman's right to choose held signs saying "Can't Choose? Can't Touch" and "Their Bodies Their Choice" as they stood along Atlantic Avenue. They also chanted, "We won't go back" and "Our bodies, our choice."

In West Palm Beach, signs read "Stop the War on Women" and "Bans Off Our Bodies." One woman held a sign that said, "I don't want to live in a society where women aren't autonomous citizens."

In Port St. Lucie, some 30 activists held a rally alongside U.S. Highway 1 and Tiffany Avenue in favor of the pro-life ruling.

"What does it mean? You're living, he's living, I'm living, everybody should have a chance to live," pro-lifer Mary DelDuca said. "This is such a joy. You can't imagine."

The activists held signs and banners at the intersection across from a Planned Parenthood.

Some said they go by Planned Parenthood every week to try and stop women from having abortions.

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"There is free help for you," Barbara Dixon said. "There's free medical aid if you want to keep the baby. There's lots of free services. You have to realize that's a life."

Dixon said it's time to change that time frame to the moment of conception.

"Where do you find the balance between saving that life and letting women have a choice over their own bodies?" WPTV reporter Joel Lopez asked.

"But that's a baby," Dixon answered. "That's your body. What about the baby?"

In Delray Beach, it was a different sentiment.

WATCH: Pro-choice rally held in Delray Beach

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Sheila Divine shared what went through her mind after learning of the ruling.

"I was devastated," she said. "It's a violation of church and state. It's a violation of women's rights. It's discrimination and it's awful."

Divine said it's time to organize.

Sasha Rojas was a bit more emotional about it.

"I just cried for a little bit," she said. "It's very scary because it's not just about an unborn child. It's about women's health care."