BILLINGS - The Women's March in Billings started as two events with a walk from North Park to the Yellowstone County courthouse lawn where some speakers were planned, and part of it is a message to Congress.
"Congress is reconvening October 4 and discussing among many things the abortion bans that are going on," said Brandi Seibel, who organized the march in Billings. "So we would like our voices to be heard nationwide on a large scale to hopefully make a little bit of a presence for ourselves."
Several spoke at the march.
"Let us be the people who resist and persist."
"We will never stop a fight for our right to choose."
"I support abortion."
"And pushing to ban abortions and bring back the abortion rules is, you know the Roe v Wade, all of this is very important to our rights the structure of our ability to make choices for ourselves," Seibel said. "It's a really big deal to me."
In the Heights, in front of Planned Parenthood, 40 Days for Life is now in its 11th day.
"When we're out here on abortion days, our main message is to the women and men who are going into Planned Parenthood," said Amy Seymour, Yellowstone Valley Christians For Life president. "We try to give them a message of love, saying, there are other ways there are better ways, you know, we can help you, we can find help for you. Pro-life people are here. We are not your enemies. We are not trying to take away women's rights."
We had a chance to ask both groups about three laws passed by the legislature that have been put on hold in Yellowstone County District Court.
House Bill 136 prohibits the abortion of an unborn child, capable of feeling pain.
House Bill 140 requires a pregnant woman be afforded the opportunity to view an active ultrasound.
And House Bill 171 provides requirements for abortion inducing drugs,
"When we're looking at abortion bans and we're looking at, when life is started and creationism and everybody's trying to bring you know, church into a state where it does not belong," said Seibel. "Were infringing upon women's rights."
"Those (laws) are great," Seymour said. "Anything we can do to help women to reevaluate their situation."
