SLC students hold walkouts in response to Roe v. Wade

SALT LAKE CITY — Three Salt Lake City high schools had class interrupted by student walkouts Thursday, most rallying in support of abortion rights.

This comes after Politico published a draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade.

The student walkouts

Walkouts took place at East, West and Highland high schools, with an estimated couple hundred students walking out at East High School.

Here’s what it looked like when an estimated couple hundred kids walked out of class in support of abortion rights at East High. A smaller group opposed to abortion were booing and yelling back. @kslnewsradio pic.twitter.com/bWnCq6wsU2

— Lindsay Aerts (@LindsayOnAir) May 12, 2022

Students at East High School could be heard chanting “Hands off our bodies,” as well as some students using megaphones to make the point that a woman should have access to safe abortions.

“The overturnment of Roe v. Wade has never been about the so-called, babies being killed,” said one East High School student. “It has always been about the control over women.”

Both sides of the debate

While most students were rallying in support of abortion rights, students from both sides of the debate were present at the walkouts.

This is the group opposed to abortion who were yelling boos back at the students who walked out. pic.twitter.com/0kl5RHHdTZ

— Lindsay Aerts (@LindsayOnAir) May 12, 2022

One East High student called it a tragedy if babies don’t get to experience life.

“Why kill a baby, when you can just set it up for adoption,” said the student.

The walkout at East High School lasted about 20 minutes before most students filed back to class.

Devin Oldroyd contributed to this story

Related stories

• Rally held at Utah State Capitol in support of abortion rights
• SB 174, the Utah trigger law that bans most abortions
• Utah law professor: Overturning Roe v. Wade would leave abortion laws to the states

 

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