Abortion rights protesters vacate Interstate 5 in downtown Sacramento

Demonstrators have moved off of Interstate 5 in downtown Sacramento, but some highway ramps remain closed Monday afternoon following an abortion rights protest.

Dozens of demonstrators marched towards the interstate from a protest organized by the Sacramento Group Progressive Unity, which began at 10 a.m. Monday at the state Capitol.

The group was protesting the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, which eliminated the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to an abortion. Those at the demonstration stressed that though California has some of the strongest reproductive protections in the country, protesting is still crucial in sending a message to lawmakers in Washington.

“Even in states like California where it’s legal, I think that if it’s illegal anywhere, it’s illegal everywhere,” demonstrator Hailey Amparano said. “We have to band together and fight for everyone’s rights, not just our own.”

Demonstrators made their way onto the interstate via an on-ramp, stopping northbound traffic and causing a blockage in downtown Sacramento near L Street.

At around 12:45 p.m., California Highway Patrol officers accompanied by police trucks assembled in a line to push protesters off the interstate, clearing the roadway before 1 p.m. At that point, demonstrators marched away from the interstate on L Street.

Caltrans reported about 1 p.m. that northbound lanes had opened, but certain highway ramps remained closed.

The right to an abortion remains legal in the Golden State. But Californians like Maddy Stanley, who have family members throughout the country, remain concerned for loved ones living in states with stricter laws.

“I have family in other states, and obviously I care about what they’re allowed to do too,” Stanley said. “So I think it’s important, even if we’re in California, to stand up and fight.”

Another demonstrator, Mariella Hernandez, stressed the importance of staging the protest on the Fourth of July.

“Independence day is supposed to celebrate freedom,” Hernandez said. “What freedom do we have besides the freedom to go buy assault rifles, to go shoot up a school and the freedom to shoot up a church? What freedoms do we have other than that? That’s wrong, and that’s why I’m here. That’s why we’re anti-patriotic.”