A Roe v. Wade protest was held Tuesday outside of state Assemblyman Colin Schmitt‘s district headquarters in Washingtonville. 

Demonstrators were vocal about what overturning the federal ruling could mean and met to criticize the Republican’s voting record when it comes to women’s right's in New York state. 

They held signs while chanting, “Hey, hey ho ho voters must protect Roe.”

Some of the protesters recounted times before the federal ruling when women died from illegal abortions and didn’t have health care options like they do today.

“I know the world that Colin Schmitt will take us back to,” says Willa Freiband, president of Orange County Democratic Women.
Schmitt is running for U.S. Congress. 

He voted against New York’s Reproductive Health Act in 2019 that legalized abortion past 24 weeks if a woman’s health or life are at risk or the fetus isn’t viable. 

And while the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade isn’t finalized just yet, protesters say the current political climate is to blame for the debate and divide we’re seeing unfold now. 

“Today, its women’s rights - Roe v. Wade - and tomorrow it’s marriage equality and other civil rights and voting rights,” said Zak Constantine, president of the Young Democrats of Orange County. “This is what happens when our courts become hyper-politicized by far right ideology just like Assemblyman Schmitt.”

Assemblyman Schmitt put out a statement, saying he’s troubled by the Supreme Court leak and said it’s unfortunate that Democrats are casting aside different views when it comes to abortion. 

The assemblyman didn’t say whether he supports overturning Roe v. Wade. 

In a tweet, his opponent Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney called the possibility “draconian.”