Locals to gather for pro-life and pro-choice rally

Hundreds of pro-life and pro-choice supporters gathered in front of the Columbia Planned Parenthood Saturday morning.

Pro-life supporters included Representative Hannah Kelly who spoke to the crowd.

“Life is a gift from God,” Kelly said. “It is not being against women’s health care by being against taxpayers’ dollars being invested in Planned Parenthood funding. It is being for women’s health care because we are for the unborn woman.”

Other pro-life supporters echoed Kelly, speaking about their desire to defund Planned Parenthood to help unborn children.

“I believe that we want to save lives of vulnerable children,” said pro-life supporter, Mary Lou.

“I don’t think that those of us who believe abortion is killing a human person should be having to pay taxes to help do that,” said Joanna Shaver, who was with her children at the rally. “There’s a need for the younger people to come out and support pro-life rally.”

One of the organizers for the pro-life side, Kathy Forck, is also involved in the 40 Days for Life campaign that will protest outside of Planned Parenthood for 40 days from March 1 until April 9.

“I think it’s important that people stand up and make their voice that we want Planned Parenthood to be defunded,” Forck said.

Forck’s organization is asking Congress to defund Planned Parenthood and send the money to federally qualified health centers that do not perform abortions.

“We are asking Congress to redirect that money to these places,” Forck said. “There’s like 10,000 of them and there’s 600 Planned Parenthoods. Do the math.”

The pro-choice side was on the other side of Providence Road, directly in front of the Planned Parenthood building.

ABC 17 News spoke with a woman and her father about their experiences with Planned Parenthood.

“When I was 13, I had extremely painful periods and would later find out that I have a condition,” Anna Guthrie said. “At that time my insurance didn’t want to cover birth control, so I came to Planned Parenthood and get on, what was for me, hormone therapy and I was able to go to school like a normal person. And again, I had a gap in coverage when I was pregnant with my son. I was able to keep up prenatal care with the gaps because of Planned Parenthood.”

Guthrie’s father, Mitchel Guthrie, was also supporting Planned Parenthood during Saturday’s demonstration.

“I think the services that Planned Parenthood provides are very necessary,” Guthrie said. “Lots and lots of indigent women, many college kids, need the services, all the services that Planned Parenthood provides. Not only gynecological but there’s psychological counseling and other health services provided.”

Sheila Kostas, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said the organization believes every individual deserves access to the highest quality health care services available.

“Planned Parenthood has never backed down from standing up and protecting access to these services, from defending reproductive rights and health, and we are not about to start now,” Kostas said.

Across the country, there were more than 200 similar demonstrations at various Planned Parenthood locations.