The first March for Life in 海角换妻 drew an estimated 2,000 abortion opponents to the state Capitol on Wednesday, giving an anti-abortion movement with few political successes in the state a moment of celebration.
鈥淭oday marks a new beginning for the pro life movement in the state of 海角换妻,鈥� said Peter Wolfgang, the executive director of the Family Institute of 海角换妻.
海角换妻 is one of the most Catholic states in the U.S., yet one of the friendliest to the cause of reproductive rights with a dominant Democratic Party and a 32-year-old state law codifying the tenets of Roe v. Wade.
But a rally and a march organized by a national anti-abortion group, March for Life, comes as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the potential reversal of Roe, which struck down state bans on abortion 49 years ago.
The rally opened with prayer and remarks by two of the region鈥檚 most prominent clergy: Archbishop Leonard Blair of the Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford and Archbishop LeRoy Bailey Jr., pastor of The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, a Black church with one of the largest congregations in New England.
鈥淥ur movement is made up of Americans in every racial and ethnic background, every walk of life and every faith tradition,鈥� said Jeanne F. Mancini, the president of March for Life Education and Defense Fund. 鈥淲e鈥檙e mothers, we鈥檙e fathers, we鈥檙e daughters, we鈥檙e sons. We are Democrats, we鈥檙e Republicans and we鈥檙e independents.鈥�
Subsequent speakers set a more aggressive and overtly political tone, asserting their time is near, and the opposing camp is scared.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e scared because life is winning in America and life can win in 海角换妻, too,鈥� Wolfgang said. 鈥淔or years, we were told that abortion was not an issue in 海角换妻, that there was no pro-life movement in 海角换妻 or no prior pro-life movement of any serious consequence. Well, look at all of you. Today, we prove them wrong.鈥�
Capitol police and an organizer each estimated the crowd at 2,000, many holding green and white 鈥淟ove Life, Choose Life鈥� signs provided by the Knights of Columbus. They filled the plaza and lawn on the north side of the Capitol for an hour of speeches, then marched down the hill around Bushnell Park and back.
Opposition to abortion has been unusual among statewide office holders of both parties in 海角换妻. Republican John G. Rowland, an opponent of abortion as a state lawmaker and congressman, famously dropped his stance before running for governor in 1990
But Leora Levy, a member of the Republican National Committee and a candidate for U.S. Senate, campaigned in the throng, trailed by volunteers who gathered contact information from potential supporters.
鈥淚 am a pro-life Republican,鈥� Levy said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a very principled Republican.鈥�
Her appearance foreshadows abortion becoming a wedge issue in a Republican primary. Her main rival, former state House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, is a supporter of abortion rights with a voting record endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice 海角换妻.
Len Suzio, a former Republican state senator working for Levy, said, 鈥淭his is going to become a big issue.鈥�
Robert Hyde, another Republican running for U.S. Senate, had an information table at the rally.
No candidate was allowed to address the crowd. Rep. Lezlye Zupkus, R-Wolcott, the mother of two adopted children, was the only lawmaker given a speaking slot.
The legislature鈥檚 Government Administration and Elections Committee is holding a hearing Friday on a resolution calling for a state constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion rights in 海角换妻, but the amendment is not a priority of reproductive rights groups.
Instead, the focus is on two bills addressing more immediate concerns: Would states where abortion remains legal have the capacity to serve women from states where it is banned? And could restrictions from banned states reach into 海角换妻?
A bill before the Public Health Committee would allow advanced-practice clinicians to perform abortions by suction, also known as vacuum aspiration. It is the most common method of in-clinic abortions and can be performed by clinicians other than doctors in more than a dozen other states.
Another measure before the Judiciary Committee essentially would bar 海角换妻 officials from assisting other states in enforcing bans on their residents from getting an abortion in a state where it is legal.
Christina Bennett, one of the speakers, said the latter bill 鈥渨ould allow abortion doctors who have broken laws in their states to come hide in 海角换妻, making 海角换妻 a sanctuary state for abortion doctors.鈥�
House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said he favors passage this session of the bill in Judiciary for both practical and symbolic reasons
鈥淲e can act before the court rules,鈥� Ritter said. 鈥淎nd as these other states roll things back, I think it sends a very strong message: 海角换妻鈥檚 not going to go backwards. We鈥檙e not going to retreat. We鈥檙e not going to cower in fear of people who want to yell and scream. We鈥檙e going to protect a woman鈥檚 rights to choose, which is what the vast majority of 海角换妻 residents want.鈥�