ROGERS, Ark. — Hundreds of people marched down 8th Street in Rogers on Sunday, June 22, for a cause they believe in.
This march comes just a day before June 24, the day the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, ultimately banning abortion in Arkansas.
Sheila Pursell, director of NWA Respect Life and rally organizer says this march is part of an effort to keep Arkansas abortion-free.
"Arkansas is a pro-life state, and we want to keep it pro-life," she said. "We uphold it pro-life and just that we don't solve our problems by killing people."
While Americans United for Life called Arkansas the most pro-life state in 2023, a Public Religion Research Institute survey conducted last year found that 13% of people in Arkansas oppose abortion in all cases with 46% supporting abortion in all or most cases.
While the event largely focused on issues surrounding abortion, Pursell says the organization's goal is to celebrate all life.
"Not only the unborn but the moms, the elderly, the developmentally disabled, those that have committed serious crimes, people that work at the abortion center, every human person is of value," she said.
Sunday’s event comes as the group Arkansans for Limited Government (AFLG) works to reinstate access to abortion in the state.
Right now, Arkansas completely bans abortions except to save the life of a mother. The state reported zero abortions in 2023.
"We're trying to educate Arkansans that this is a medical issue and that providers need to be able to have options to provide care," Gennie Diaz with AFLG said. "And also families need to have options when they're making really hard decisions."
The group is gathering signatures to get an abortion amendment on the November ballot. It would prohibit the state from banning abortion in the first 18 weeks of pregnancy, or the instance of rape, incest, and fetal anomalies.
According to Diaz, over 250 healthcare providers are part of the movement.
"They cannot intervene in those instances, which happen regularly," she said. "They have to wait, and that's a really, really difficult position, not only for those doctors but also for that patient."
AFLG is still working to reach just under 91,000 signatures in 50 counties by the July 5 deadline. Diaz says they are close to their goal. If they get all the signatures, the abortion amendment will be on the November ballot.
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