SAFFORD — Graham County Democratic Party announced Tuesday a Protect Women’s Rights Rally will take place next week.
The rally will be held Thursday, April 25, from 4-6 p.m., on the sidewalk on the south side of U.S. Highway 70, in front of the Graham County Chamber of Commerce building.
Patty Cervantez, chair of the Graham County Democratic Party, said the rally is a response to the recent Arizona Supreme Court ruling that a law from 1864, before Arizona was a state, is in effect banning all abortions except in certain cases where the mother’s life is in imminent danger.
“The laws have just gotten ridiculous,” Cervantez said. “I think that, as women, we need to take care of ourselves and we need to fight for this.”
She added that petitions to get the Arizona for Abortion Access Act on the November ballot will be available to sign. Organizers said the goal is to collect about 800,000 signatures statewide, even though 383,000 are the minimum required to qualify the measure for the ballot.
A bill to overturn the 1864 law has been introduced in the state Senate; however, multiple attempts to do the same in the state House have failed.
For those who wish to sign the petition but cannot attend the rally, go to Sign the Petition (arizonaforabortionaccess.org).
