photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Lawrence City Commissioner Lisa Larsen, left, watches the Lawrence Women's March Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at Watson Park.

Hundreds of people rallied Saturday in Lawrence in support of reproductive rights.

The event, one of hundreds that took place across the U.S. this weekend, began in Watson Park with a series of speakers, including various legal experts and state politicians, and ended with a march up and down Massachusetts Street, where “My body, my choice!” and other chants reverberated.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Sandy Robertson, of Olathe, attends the reproductive rights rally in Watson Park on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

The event came in the wake of a controversial new law in Texas that bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and that allows Texans to sue anyone who aids, abets or performs such an abortion. The Texas law makes no exceptions for cases involving rape or incest.

In December, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a Mississippi case that many are calling an existential threat to the landmark Roe v. Wade case, now almost half a century old, which enshrined reproductive rights in the U.S. Constitution.

The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that the state constitution protects reproductive rights to the same extent as Roe. However, an amendment will appear on the ballot in August 2022. If the measure passes, the state constitution would be amended to state that nothing in the state constitution creates a right to abortion or requires government funding for abortion and that the Legislature has the authority to pass laws regarding abortion.

Saturday’s march was sponsored by Planned Parenthood Great Plains, Douglas County Democrats, ACLU KU, Kansas Abortion Fund and the Lawrence Juice.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Lawrence school board member Carole Cadue-Blackwood speaks at the Lawrence Women’s March Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at Watson Park.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

State Sen. Marci Francisco speaks at the Lawrence Women’s March Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at Watson Park.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights attend the Lawrence Women’s March Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at Watson Park.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Participants in the Lawrence Women’s March rally on Massachusetts Street Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Participants in the Lawrence Women’s March rally on Massachusetts Street Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Participants in the Lawrence Women’s March rally on Massachusetts Street Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Participants in the Lawrence Women’s March rally on Massachusetts Street Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Participants in the Lawrence Women’s March rally on Massachusetts Street Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Participants in the Lawrence Women’s March rally on Massachusetts Street Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Participants in the Lawrence Women’s March rally on Massachusetts Street Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Participants in the Lawrence Women’s March rally on Massachusetts Street Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Participants in the Lawrence Women’s March rally on Massachusetts Street Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Participants in the Lawrence Women’s March rally on Massachusetts Street Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Participants in the Lawrence Women’s March rally on Massachusetts Street Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Participants in the Lawrence Women’s March rally on Massachusetts Street Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.