Bans Off Our Bodies rally draws thousands, including candidates, to Miami-Dade park

A couple thousand people demonstrated at Ives Estates Park in North Miami-Dade on Saturday to protest the Supreme Court’s possible reversal of Roe v. Wade. The showing was part of a nationwide Bans Off Our Bodies movement.

Chanting “Abortion rights now!” amid signs and clothing decorated with pins and messages in support of a woman’s right to choose, the event drew activists as well as candidates for higher office come mid-term elections in November.

Earlier this month a draft majority opinion was published by Politico and revealed that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito argued that “Roe should be overturned because it was wrongly decided 50 years ago.”

The leak galvanized pro-choice and anti-abortion advocates alike. Saturday’s Bans Off Our Bodies Miami grassroots coalition of Miami local activists and organizations included Miami Coalition to Advance Racial Equity, Miami National Organization for Women and Blue Wave Coalition Miami Dade.

“You’re seeing democracy all across our state and across our country going into action that people are frustrated,” Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried told the Miami Herald at the park.

Fried has announced she is running against Gov. Ron DeSantis as a Democrat.

At the event she said “people are frustrated that a Supreme Court would take away rights and what is next on the chopping block? Whether it is Roe v. Wade and other reproductive rights, It’s also segregation, gay marriage. So many things are on the line and people are understanding it, and this is how they are going to show their frustrations by voting them all out of office.”

That’s the message organizer Kat Duesterhaus had touched upon in a media release on Friday that stated organizers’ goals for the demonstration.