33rd Anniversary of Roe v Wade Sparks Protests

Sunday marked the 33rd anniversary of the Supreme Courts 1973 landmark decision in Roe vs. Wade, which made abortion legal in all 50 states. Demonstrators on both sides of the issue took to the streets across the country and in the Natural State. Activists say the balance of the Supreme Court makes this year more pivotal than ever before. "Our bodies, our life, our right to decide," shouted pro choice activists in California. Over three decades have passed and Roe remains one of the most hotly contested Supreme Court decisions. Those opposed to abortion rights gathered on the anniversary for what they called "A March for Life." Wayne Mays, Washington Co. Right to Life: "Abortion kills children and harms women." Mays led 15 members of the Washington County Right to Life chapter down to Little Rock on Sunday for a demonstration. Mays: "We feel like its important because everyday thousands of children in this country are killed. We believe life has sanctity and should be protected. The group joined around 5,000 others for the 29th march on the state capital. And they were not alone. Pro choice groups, like the National Organiztion for Women, feel Roe needs to remain the law of the land. Melanie Dietzel, NWA National Organization for Women: "If we go back to a day when abortion is illegal womens lives will be lost. Its a difference of being in a sterile environment with qualified physicians or being in a motel room, or some woman out of desperation, self inducing the procedure." But with moderate Justice Sandra Day O`Connor leaving the bench, some feel the Roe decision faces perilous days ahead. Since Roe was passed 44 states now require parental consent prior to a minor receiving an abortion. Arkansas is one of those states. But there is an exception for medical emergencies. Guttmacher Institute statistics show abortion rates declining steadily in the last ten years.