Hundreds in Bradenton protest restrictive abortion laws, call for reproductive rights
Speaking out against a proposed abortion ban in Manatee County, hundreds of demonstrators marched through downtown Bradenton Saturday in support of protecting women’s reproductive rights.
The protest, which lasted several hours, joined a wave of Women’s March demonstrations nationwide. At least 500 marches were planned throughout the United States, with 50 in Florida, giving activists a platform to push back against restrictive abortion laws.
Nearly 600 protestors gathered at Bradenton’s Riverwalk Park before beginning a mile-long march along the Manatee River that ended at the Manatee County Courthouse. Organizers took turns on megaphone speakers, urging the crowd to use their voices and “fight back” against abortion bans that are proposed locally and statewide.
“We’re all keeping our eyes on Texas because it’s my body, my choice,” said Holly Miller, a 53-year-old Sarasota woman who marched with her 12-year-old daughter, Addison.
“Other people shouldn’t have an opinion about my body,” Addison added.
From the Riverwalk to the courthouse, activists waved signs and chanted in support of access to reproductive healthcare.
“My body, my choice,” they said. “I’m here to use my voice.”
Saturday’s march slowed downtown traffic as demonstrators entered the roadway and turned cars away. Bradenton police officers also redirected traffic on Manatee Avenue, clearing a path for activists to safely approach the courthouse.
“We’re doing what’s best to protect the public,” an officer said, noting that the demonstrators had not secured a protest permit for the march.
In Manatee County, local officials have shown an interest in limiting access to abortions, the medical procedure that terminates a pregnancy. There aren’t any active abortion clinics in Manatee, but County Commissioner James Satcher recently proposed to ban future clinics outright.
Satcher’s proposal immediately won support from several conservative board members, but the idea was met with opposition and protests from pro-choice activists who have already rallied twice outside of the county’s administrative center.
“I think it’s terrible. We can’t take away a woman’s right to choose this kind of healthcare,” Robin Halperin, a 69-year-old Venice resident, said Saturday. “Abortion is a lawful act. What about incest or people that are raped? Should they have to carry that baby?”
In September, the Manatee Board of County Commissioners voted to ask Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody whether state law would prevent the county from enacting a local ordinance that would prevent future clinics from opening in Manatee.
There is a legal precedent that would suggest Satcher’s plan is unlawful. Former Florida Attorney General Jim Smith wrote a legal opinion responding to a similar question, opining that state law prevents the county’s proposal.
“In conclusion, unless and until judicially determined otherwise, I am of the opinion that the state has preempted the field of regulating and licensing abortion clinics, and therefore, municipalities are not authorized to adopt an ordinance regulating (other than reasonable zoning ordinances) or banning such clinics,” Smith wrote.
But Satcher said he had been inspired by lawmakers in Texas, where the governor recently signed one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bills into law. The Florida Legislature also is expected to consider a bill similar to the Texas law during the 2022 legislative session.
As a conservative politician with a religious background, Satcher has argued that his goal to ban abortion is about protecting unborn children who cannot speak for themselves. He said the country’s laws should be updated to reflect modern technology that gives a better understanding of a baby’s development in the womb.
“I’m doing the ban because it’s the right thing,” Satcher said in a previous interview with the Bradenton Herald. “We don’t want to be a target that an abortion clinic would ever want to open up here.”
Speaking to a crowd of hundreds outside of the courthouse, elected officials and candidates for statewide office called on activists to hold their lawmakers accountable — and vote them out of office if necessary.
“Now is the time. This is the issue. Florida is the place,” said former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, one of the Democratic candidates running against Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022. “You make a statement here and it reverberates across the country and the world. People know that Florida is still purple. Why? Because of each and every one of you.”
“Any man that wants a decision in deciding what children come into this world should do what I did and get a vasectomy,” said Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell, who is running against U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio in 2022.
The future of Manatee’s proposed ban on abortion clinics is unclear. Commissioners say they plan to hold off on moving forward until Moody can issue a new legal opinion on the matter.
This story was originally published October 2, 2021 at 2:53 PM.
