Hundreds marched in downtown Bowling Green on Sunday in a raucous protest of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

The group chanted and screamed “my body, my choice” and “abort the court” as protesters made their way from the Wood County Courthouse to the four corners downtown.

Elayne Jacoby said she had already fought this battle before.

“I was doing this in the 1970s and I’m very sorry to see that it is happening again,” she said.

Jacoby said she was a nurse practitioner in women’s health care, in a college setting, for 48 years.

“I did not find that the student who sought abortions were using it for birth control,” she said. “They were difficult decisions. They were not doing it lightly.”

Mo Szurko said that supporters of abortion rights need to contact their state legislators and local government officials.

“Our rights are being taken away,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Toni Espimoza said she was still reeling from the top court’s decision.

“I’ve been crying for the last two days,” she said during Sunday’s protest. “It’s devastating.”

Bowling Green Pregnancy Center/HerChoice has been serving women and men facing an unintended pregnancy situation since 1985, and will continue to do that, said Rochelle Sikora, executive director, in an email.

“We celebrate the legal victory in providing protection for the unborn, while also acknowledging the difficult situation it creates,” Sikora said. “But this is why we exist. For anyone facing a pregnancy decision who feels alone and scared, we are here for you. You have an entire network of staff, volunteers, and churches ready to walk with you through all of it.”

She said that mothers and fathers in the community will still very much be in need of support and resources, perhaps even more so now.

“Our mission does not change. We exist to love, serve, and equip anyone facing a pregnancy decision by offering Christ-centered support and resources through our limited medical clinic, our pregnancy/parenting education programs, and our post-abortion healing program, all free and confidential. We will also continue to serve the community by providing basic necessities from diapers and formula to cribs and strollers,” Sikora said.

For nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade has guaranteed a woman’s right to an abortion. It was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday.

Abortion rights will now be determined by states, unless Congress acts, the court said.

In the short term, the ruling appears to bring an end to abortions in Ohio.

Attorney General Dave Yost filed a motion Friday morning asking a federal judge to allow a 2019 law to take effect banning abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected (about six weeks). It’s not clear how long that will take, but the judge must follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s directions.

The ACLU, ACLU of Ohio and Planned Parenthood Federation of America said in a statement Friday that they plan to fight back by suing in state court to ensure that Ohioans are able to exercise their rights protected by the Ohio Constitution.

U.S. Rep. Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, said the court’s decision “overturns the wrongly-decided Roe v. Wade case, which has led to the loss of tens of millions of lives. This decision rightly returns the power to protect the unborn to the states and to the voice of the people. It’s a momentous day for innocent life and one that should be celebrated.”

Ohio Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Huron, said “Roe v. Wade has resulted in millions of unborn babies losing their lives over the past five decades. (The) decision by the U.S. Supreme Court returns the voice to the people, giving each state their own ability to determine policies regarding life and liberty. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the legislature to protect the unborn and support women and families expecting a child in Ohio.”

“I am, and always have been, pro-life,” said Ohio Rep. Haraz Ghanbari, R-Perrysburg. “In this age of equity and inclusion, I believe it is incumbent upon all of us to include the equity position of the unborn. The recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court did not outlaw abortion as much as it reinforced the much-maligned 10th Amendment where rights not enumerated in the Constitution are reserved to the states. I also believe it’s important that support and resources for women and their babies are a key part of our conversations on this issue.”

Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, called the ruling “a long overdue turning point” in the nation’s history.

“The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of life and liberty,” Huffman said in a statement. “Our members have consistently defended the lives of babies yet to be born. We will continue to do so as we evaluate what additional resources pregnancy centers and young families may need.”

Ohio House Speaker Bob Cupp, R-Lima, called the ruling “welcome news for all who believe in the sanctity of innocent human life, as I do. The process of reviewing the decision is underway, including what steps should be taken at the state level and the timeline for doing so.”

In a two-word response posted on Twitter, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-4th, said “Life wins.”

J.D. Vance, the Republican candidate for an open Ohio Senate seat, said Friday’s ruling ushers in a “new phase of the pro-life movement. We will continue the fight to ensure that every young mother has the resources they need to bring new life into the world. We will build an economy where it’s possible to sustain and support our children. We will expand adoption and promote pregnancy centers, so that every child has the loving home they deserve. Some of our efforts will be federal, and others local, but all will be focused on the simple principle that life is worth protecting — from the moment it begins until its natural end.”

Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of the Diocese of Toledo called the end of Roe v. Wade a “historic moment (that) moves us a step closer to establishing a culture of life where every life is valued, where the dignity of every person born and pre-born is respected, and where each human person is treasured as created in the image and likeness of God.”

Brown: Ruling means fewer freedoms for women

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, was upset by the court’s announcement.

“For 50 years, women in America had the right to make their own personal health care decisions. Today, five judges handed that right over to politicians,” Brown said in a statement. “This will be the first generation of women to grow up with fewer rights and freedoms than their mothers and grandmothers, and this burden will be disproportionately carried by low-income women and women of color.”

Brown said Congress “must take action restoring protections for women to make their own health choices, and women will make their voices heard in voting booths around Ohio and the country this November.”

Tim Ryan, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat in Ohio currently held by Rob Portman, called the court’s ruling “disastrous.”

“By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court is gutting a long-established right in order to put politicians between women and their doctors,” Ryan said. “Even worse, this ruling gives the green light to those here in Ohio who have introduced legislation that would deny women access to potentially lifesaving care, and threaten to put women and doctors in jail.”

Elizabeth Walters, Ohio Democratic Party chair, said the high court’s ruling has placed added emphasis on upcoming elections in the Buckeye State for governor, an open senate seat and seats in the Ohio legislature.

“Ohioans’ fundamental right to reproductive care, including abortion and birth control, is on the line in this year’s election. This disastrous decision lays squarely at the feet of Ohio Republicans — from J.D. Vance to Mike DeWine to extremists in the statehouse — who have spent years working to strip women of their basic rights and enacting new, cruel restrictions that would punish survivors of rape and incest,” Walters said.

“It is critical that Ohioans elect Tim Ryan, Nan Whaley and pro-choice Democratic candidates up and down the ballot in November who will protect the right to abortion. We will continue to fight so that women can make these personal decisions with their doctors and without unwanted and unnecessary interference from politicians. This November, Ohioans will take their outrage to the polls and defeat the extremist Republicans who gutted our freedom to choose,” Walters said.

Freda Levenson, legal director for the ACLU of Ohio, said, “The most important thing to remember is that as of today, abortion is still legal in Ohio. We are determined and prepared to fight to keep it that way. Given the horrible consequences that will be unleashed by the Supreme Court’s decision, the path to regaining our rights will be hard-fought, but the ACLU will be there every step of the way. We won’t stop until all Ohioans are again secure in the power to make the best decisions for ourselves and our families.”

(Sentinel-Tribune multi-media journalist J.D. Pooley covered the Bowling Green protest on Sunday. The Lima News staff contributed to this story.)