Anti-abortion rally in Las Vegas celebrates SCOTUS ruling

About 30 people gathered Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas to celebrate the rolling back of federal protections for abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday.

The group of anti-abortion supporters gathered outside First Choice Pregnancy Services, 860 E. Sahara Ave. Speakers, including Liberty Baptist Church Associate Pastor Neal Berkey, addressed to the crowd.

“Hearing that for the first time I thought, “Oh great, there’s more freedom that we have in our country,’” Berkey said about learning of the court’s decision.

The crowd cheered and applauded when one speaker used the phrase, “post-Roe America.” Near the group were four rows of model fetuses on the ground.

Carolyn Schoen, 76, is a 40-year resident of Las Vegas who attended the event.

“God sent me here,” Schoen said. “He just laid it on my heart that I needed to do something for the pro-life movement.”

The facility is near the Birth Control Care Center abortion clinic, 872 E. Sahara Ave. Speakers described how volunteers stand along the driveway into the abortion clinic to try and convince people to not go through with abortions.

“I’m hoping that the people of Nevada will change our laws, because it seems like it’s in our constitution that we’re an abortion safe state and they don’t want to put any restrictions on it,” Schoen said. “I’m hoping it changes legally.”

Nevada law allows abortions up to 24 weeks, with exceptions for later in the pregnancy if the health of the mother is threatened.

Schoen said she does not support abortions even in cases of rape or incest.

“That’s a horrible tragedy for that woman, but you don’t put another tragedy on top of that by killing the baby,” Schoen said.

On Friday, hundreds gathered downtown to march in support of abortion rights and against the court’s decision. The group that gathered outside the Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse, 333 Las Vegas Blvd. South, and later marched down the Strip.

During a press conference Friday, Gov. Steve Sisolak said, “I want to reassure you … for all women, everyone seeking reproductive health care, I will not stand by and let this outdated idea that women can’t make the right decisions for their own bodies to take over our lives.”

Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @davidwilson_RJ on Twitter.