TOLEDO, Ohio — As news broke Friday that the U.S. Supreme Court had struck down Roe v. Wade, the 50-year-old decision that made abortion legal throughout the United States, many in northwest Ohio had strong emotional reactions.
A group of anti-abortion supporters gathered in front of Toledo Municipal Court Friday morning, celebrating the repeal of Roe v. Wade with a series of speeches.
"Today's decision by the Supreme Court to send Roe and Casey into the scrap heap is a significant victory," said one anti-abortion advocate.
"Women are predisposed to nurturing and motherhood, we need to return to a culture where abortion is unthinkable," said Bob Schoen, another anti-abortion activist.
Those anti-abortion advocates believe the repeal of Roe v. Wade takes the United States one step closer to saving the lives of millions of unborn fetuses across the country.
However, not everyone in the Glass City was celebrating.
"I think it has set women back hundreds of years and I am strongly opposed to it," said 81-year old Judith Walker.
The long-time Toledo resident said abortions are an ugly-but-necessary reality, and this Supreme Court decision is robbing women of the right to have the choice.
"Not for me of course, but for my grandchildren, and nieces, and what have you," said Walker.
And another woman WTOL 11 spoke to, who wished to remain anonymous, was nearly in tears as she explained that making abortion illegal only will make people have to go to more difficult lengths to get the procedure.
"People are going to go to other countries to get unsafe abortions, more people are going to die because of this decision," she said.
And local politicians, such as Toledo City Councilwoman Cerssandra McPherson, were taken aback as well, wondering if federal abortion protections can be reversed after decades, what else could be on the table?
"Somebody could come and want to reverse the civil rights act! This door opening opens the door for a lot," McPherson said.
McPherson said she expects to meet with her colleagues in the coming days to consider abortion protections for the City of Toledo. At the same time, Gov. Mike DeWine, who has opposed abortion and signed the state's Heartbeat Bill, said he wants to go "as far as possible" to make abortion illegal in Ohio.
More on WTOL: