Hundreds of people, including many state elected officials, marched to and gathered at the state Capitol on Sunday in opposition to abortion.
Arkansas Right to Life marked its 43rd annual March for Life in opposition to the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion across the country 48 years ago.
Many speakers at the rally declared Arkansas the "most pro-life state in the United States," referencing legislation such as Senate Bill 6. Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed the bill Tuesday, enacting the tightest restrictions on abortion in the nation -- allowing the procedure only in instances when the life or health of the mother is in danger.
Since becoming governor in 2015, Hutchinson has signed 28 bills "designed to protect life," he said.
"We want to support life of the unborn and protect it here in the United States of America, and we will want to come here and do this until Roe v. Wade is reversed," he said.
U.S. Reps. French Hill and Bruce Westerman, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin also spoke at the rally. Numerous members of the state Legislature, as well as former Gov. Mike Huckabee, were also in attendance.
Hill and other speakers said that based on biblical Scriptures, life begins at conception.
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Rutledge said: "I've always fought for women's rights, but the right to life is a child's right. No woman and no man should be able, or should even think they should be able, to stand and make the decision that our good Lord, the creator, the almighty has made, which is the beginning of life."
Michelle Oglesby, co-owner of Angel's Choice Adoption Agency in Sherwood, spoke to the crowd about domestic adoption options as well as her own experience with abortion.
"The abortion that I chose to have ended a life. Abortion hurts. I was 17 years old, and at the age of 61, I still remember," she said. "We all have a chance to live. Why can't the unborn have that same chance?"
The March for Life is normally held in January, but it was moved to March because of coronavirus-related concerns, said Andy Mayberry, board president of Arkansas Right to Life.
Concerns about the pandemic led Arkansas Coalition for Reproductive Justice leaders to cancel their annual rally this year.
Reproductive justice is the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, to have children, to not have children and to parent those children in safe and sustainable environments, said Karen Ricketts, board member of the Arkansas Coalition for Reproductive Justice.
"The gathering taking place today -- in the midst of a pandemic -- they're advocating for pro-birth, not pro-life. Arkansas is not a pro-life state. Abortion is a safe and legal health care service and should remain available to anyone," she said.
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Arkansans gather in LR for march against abortion - Arkansas Online
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