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SALT LAKE CITY — Several hundred people gathered at the state Capitol on Tuesday to protest recently-passed laws limiting or banning abortion in Utah and elsewhere.
The Utah "Stop the Bans" rally was one of more than 400 demonstrations organized nationwide in opposition to laws passed in state legislatures across the country since January.
Alabama last week passed a law banning nearly all abortions without exceptions for rape and incest, while Missouri has outlawed abortions after eight weeks and a handful of other states have banned the procedure after around the six-week point, or when a heartbeat can be detected.
The Utah Legislature this year passed a law banning abortions after 18 weeks of gestation.
The event's speakers included representatives from Planned Parenthood and the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, as well as two local high school students.
Elizabeth Miller, a Salt Lake City resident, said she decided to organize the rally after seeing social media posts over the weekend calling for "Stop the Bans" protests.
"With all the laws that have been passed recently, I felt like I had to do something," Miller said. "I had to channel my anger and passion into something productive."
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