Last Friday, a federal judge issued a ruling that would block access to mifepristone in abortions, in every state. The unprecedented ruling has the potential to strain abortion clinics and providers across the nation who are already grappling with the effects of Roe v. Wade being overturned and abortion banned in states like South Dakota.
It’s all part of the strategy from anti-abortion extremists to effectively ban medication abortion in every state and ultimately outlaw all abortion care nationwide.
That’s why abortion rights advocates are organizing and planning to fight these efforts to undermine abortion access while changing the narrative around reproductive health care in South Dakota. Supporters will hold a rally at 11 a.m. on the east side of the Minnehaha County Courthouse in Sioux Falls on Saturday.
“This is bigger than Roe. It’s about more than mifepristone. Those of us who care about reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy need to get engaged despite all the barriers in our way,” said Samantha Chapman, ACLU of South Dakota advocacy manager. “The fight for abortion access is everywhere, from the ballot box to the legislature to the streets — and the time to be loud and mobilize is now. We have to change the narrative around abortion and reassure people that abortion is essential health care that people across our state need – regardless of their political affiliation, their income, their race or their faith. We can’t stay silent while our rights are attacked – and we won’t.”
Blocking access to mifepristone will set a dangerous precedent for future attacks against any medication or lifestyle that doesn’t align with extremist ideology. The same people seeking to control the bodies of pregnant people are coming for the right to access birth control, IVF, gender-affirming health care, marriage equality and the right to vote.
“We will organizing supporters, at the legislature and at the ballot box making our voices heard every day until we all have the freedom in South Dakota to access the care we need without obstacles, shame, stigma or harassment,” Chapman said.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Bigger Than Roe, More Than Mifepristone Abortion Rights Rally
WHEN: 11 a.m., Saturday, April 15
WHERE: East side of the Minnehaha County Courthouse, 415 N. Dakota Ave.
FOR INFORMATION: Go to www.aclusd.org
Other organizations participating in the rally include Planned Parenthood of South Dakota, Justice Empowerment Network, South Dakotans for Healthy Families, LEAD South Dakota, University of South Dakota Students for Reproductive Rights, Augustana HAPPY, Transformation Project Advocacy Network, Sioux Falls Pride and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
For people who can’t join the rally in person, the ACLU of South Dakota has digital rally assets available to post on social media.
About the ACLU of South Dakota
The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of South Dakota is part of a three-state chapter that also includes North Dakota and Wyoming. The team in South Dakota is supported by staff in those states.
The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people. In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit communities. The ACLU of South Dakota carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level, and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of South Dakota.
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