Protesters rally at Iowa state capitol as lawmakers pass abortion ban

Pro-abortion rights protesters gathered at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines on Tuesday, July 11th, as lawmakers passed a bill banning most abortions after the “detection of a fetal heartbeat,” or at roughly six weeks. Footage from inside the capitol, uploaded by the ACLU of Iowa, shows protesters on Tuesday morning. The bill passed the state’s house with a vote of 56-34, and the senate with a vote of 32-17 following a marathon special session that ended at around 9 pm on Tuesday evening. Under the new legislation, abortion is illegal in Iowa after the “detection of a fetal heartbeat,” or about six weeks into a pregnancy. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa were among groups objecting to the passage of the bill, writing that the legislature “bulldozed a single-day special session to pass a near-total abortion ban that outlaws abortion at around six weeks, before most people even know they’re pregnant.” Credit: ACLU of Iowa via Storyful