DES MOINES, Iowa — Hundreds gathered at the Iowa State Capitol Saturday to march in solidarity with thousands of others around the country in the 2021 Women's March.
Whether they've been supporting the cause for months, years or even decades, the message was the same. And for many, it's more timely now than ever before.
The 2021 march centered on responding to a recent bill out of Texas which bans most abortions in the state after six weeks—without exceptions for rape and incest. Organizers in Iowa don't want the Hawkeye State to follow suit.
"We can't let that happen here in Iowa. Iowa's legislators are already leaning that way. And we don't want it to go any further," said Susan Mrzena, who helped organize the march.
Mrzena has been an activist for women's right since the 1980s. That's longer than Paige Adams, one of the march's marshals, has been alive. A current student at Grandview, Adams said it was encouraging to see women of all ages banding together to support the cause.
"It's the most awesome feeling ever seeing a lot of older women come out too," Adams said. "They went through it. The movement now, it's bigger,"
The event attracted a large, passionate crowd and organizers intend to carry that momentum forward.
"This is our opportunity," Mrzena said. "Today isn't just one and done. We are going to keep up the pressure on them until we get Roe codified."
The Department of Justice is currently suing the state of Texas over their new abortion law, seeking to halt its enforcement. The first hearing was held on Oct. 1, but there has been no ruling yet.