Abortion rights supporters lead protest in Cary

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- The fallout from the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade continues. Sunday hundreds of abortion rights supporters made their voices heard in downtown Cary.

All weekend we're seeing excitement from Republican and anti-abortion leaders on what they are calling a victory.

North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson stating "The opinion gives the right back to the states where it belongs."

Sunday more pro-abortion activists took to the streets of Cary to voice their opinions.

"Abortion is healthcare and it's not just women or cis women that are facing these problems," said Xena Gray the protest organizer.

Gray led the march through downtown Cary with hundreds of supporters behind her.

She says the overturned Roe v. Wade ruling goes against what she feels the country stands for.

"The fact that separation of church and state has become very evidently not the case this is starting to become a theocracy for conservative Christians and not the nation of the free that we want," she said.

Wiley Nikel also spoke at the protest today to encourage people to vote in the upcoming elections.

"I'm really encouraged by just sheer volume of people who are out here making their voice heard and 70-80% of the public supports women's reproductive health rights the vast majority of our country is on our side and that's what I think is the important message," he said.

An unlikely ally Alicia Woerner couldn't be at the protest, but spoke with us Sunday.

She says she is a Republican and supports abortion rights.

"So when I was 20, I was not in a good place in my life - not really hanging out with the best people not making the best decisions, to be totally honest. And I found out I was pregnant in June of 2013," she explained.

She decided to get an abortion.

"Where I was in my life it wouldn't have been fair for me to bring life into this world," she added.

She says she still believes in conservative ideologies, but say it was hard to hear the news on Friday.

"I felt like I got my gut punch. And I like probably watch the news for about 10 minutes and then just started to cry," she said.

And speaking out as a Republican has been difficult.

"There's more of us out there that just aren't willing to, you know, share our thoughts and our feelings. Because we don't want to be looked down upon by other members of the party who have very strong feelings."

She feels she needs to speak up for those who may not be able to.

"I felt sadness for women like me, I felt sadness for women who, you know, do have medical issues that won't be able to receive care in their states," she said.

Alicia says she has voted in almost every election she can since turning 18 and says these upcoming elections will make a big difference in how our state moves forward. She says she will be casting her vote for whoever she feels best represents the needs of our state.