Hundreds of people gathered in Seneca Falls, the birthplace for women’s rights in America, to defend reproductive rights in the U.S. on Saturday.

Kathy Hochul, a longtime advocate and now first female governor of New York, was in attendance. 

What You Need To Know

  • Hundreds of people gathered in Seneca Falls, the birthplace for women’s rights in America, to defend reproductive rights in the U.S.

  • A longtime advocate, and now first female governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, was in attendance

  • The main women's march is happening in Washington, D.C.

“It’s really empowering to march for that, we believe in for women’s rights in the home place of women’s rights, it’s where it all started,” protester Jessie Riess said. “We shouldn’t still be here, but we are. And I feel that this place is just really significant for that.”

It all comes as the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request to block a restrictive abortion law in Texas from taking effect this past month. The law bans most abortions after about six week of pregnancy. People from all across New York state and around the country stood at the rally to fight for their reproductive rights.

“I’d like to hope that we’re the last generation that needs to have this fight,” protester Mary Schatzel said. “That’s why we’re here to do everything we can to make that happen.”

The high-court is set to reconvene in-person on Monday. Another major challenge to abortion rights is on the docket, a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Some people at the really say this could set the women’s rights movement back.

“We’re not going back,” Donna Marra said. “That there’ absolutely no reason why we should still be facing this issue today.”  

The fight for women’s rights started 173 years ago in Seneca Falls at Wesleyan Chapel in 1848. The first women’s rights convention started the women’s suffrage movement.

“[It’s] a generational fight to fight for our freedom and the rights that belong to us,” protester Alyssa Frijey said. “It is a shame in this day and age that we still have to fight. But we’re going to continue and pick up the torch that our mothers and our grandmothers have passed on to us and our daughters and our sisters and the next generation.”

Hochul says cases like the ones in Texas and Mississippi could have a long standing impact on Roe v. Wade. She says it will take unity to create lasting change.

“We’ll be strong and we’ll prove once and for all that women can lead with strength, but also with heart and conviction,” Hochul said. “That is what we’re going to do. We’re going to do it together my friends. Thank you for being here today.”

The main women's march is happening in Washington, D.C., where advocates are marching to the Supreme Court.