NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Now that abortions are banned in Tennessee, emotions are running high.
People against abortion said this is the day they’ve been praying for the last few decades. Meanwhile, those who support abortion access are livid about the new law.
There are no exceptions for rape or incest, which is controversial especially when it comes to children and abuse victims.
Dozens of people showed up at the courthouse for a rally against the abortion ban.
"We thank you for joining us today and the next time you see us here, we could be in handcuffs," Dr. Amy Bono said.
The doctors at the rally are with Protect My Care. They support abortion access.
Dr. Laura Andreson of Franklin said the law has dangerous implications for patients and providers.
"As physicians fear felonies, outcomes could be mothers dying," Dr. Andreson said.
Doctors will have to prove to a jury they provided an abortion to save the mother's life.
"Exceptions to this law do not exist," Andreson said.
She worries doctors could delay caring for their patients because they are worried about going to prison. The new law carries a three to six-year prison sentence for doctors convicted of performing an abortion.
There were also tense moments when a counter-protester showed up and interjected. A Metro Police Officer told them they didn't want anything to escalate.
A pro-life counter protester just showed up and said ‘keep your legs closed’ @nc5 pic.twitter.com/yzhPTAO8H0
— Alexandra Koehn (@NC5_AKoehn) August 25, 2022
After the rally, NewsChannel 5 talked to a father who attended the rally with his daughter to listen and learn.
"It really stands for something when you have your father, especially a man you know, with you," Miranda Simpson said.
Miranda and her father, Bryan, fear for the future of reproductive rights.
“Her mother, my wife, was in the labor delivery business for multiple decades, and when you learn all the technical terms for the way a birth can naturally go wrong, it really does scare you that they’re going to force women to go through this," Bryan Simpson said.
Miranda feels every woman should have a choice.
"I think it’s really scary, that’s such a dilemma for a doctor to go through, it’s a scary reality," Miranda Simpson said.
There were no anti-abortion rallies on Aug. 25, but Tennessee Right to Life’s vice president has said they’ve been waiting for this day for 50 years.
