Topeka, Kansas — A hardline abortion abolition rally inside the Kansas Capitol on Tuesday collided with a counterprotest from a self-described satanist group demanding equal access to public spaces, setting the stage for a potential First Amendment dispute over how state officials regulate demonstrations at the Statehouse.
Members of the Abortion is Murder organization filled the Capitol rotunda, urging lawmakers to pass legislation declaring abortion equivalent to murder statewide. Speakers condemned Republican and Democratic legislators alike for refusing to adopt a total ban, dismissing concerns about gubernatorial vetoes or constitutional challenges. Protesters displayed large, graphic signs depicting fetal remains and distributed literature citing biblical scripture.
At the same time, supporters of the Satanic Grotto gathered on the Capitol’s lower levels and outside steps to challenge what they described as selective enforcement of protest rules. Group president Michael Stewart said state officials allowed anti-abortion activists to bring graphic imagery into the Capitol while imposing stricter limits on his group’s expression. Stewart said the demonstration was intended to document alleged unequal treatment ahead of a possible lawsuit.
Stewart cited Kansas’ history of anti-abortion violence, including the 2009 murder of Wichita physician George Tiller, to argue that the state has a responsibility to apply protest rules evenly. He said the group planned to file complaints with the Kansas Department of Administration alleging preferential treatment for religious activists.
The confrontation unfolded as abortion rights remain constitutionally protected in Kansas under state Supreme Court rulings, even as conservative activists continue pressing lawmakers to eliminate all legal abortion access.
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