WATCH: 'If it’s lost in one place, it’s felt in another,' says pro-choice demonstrators

• Organizers wanted to raise awareness of accessibility issues
• Small number of counter demonstrators turned out

A crowd of around 100 people gathered for July 4 in Kelowna. But they were celebrating a different form of independence.

Pro-choice demonstrators assembled at Stuart Park across from City Hall on Monday, advocating for female abortion rights. It was led by two college graduates, Nyah Meller and Sophie Harms.

“Any woman should have the right to their own body. No government, no person, no church should tell them what they can do with their body,” Meller told Kelowna10.

The event was organized primarily to show solidary with colleagues south of the border, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade on June 24. Ensuring sufficient access to abortion in Canada is also of concern for demonstrators.

The monumental shift in U.S. policy inspired the pair to become more heavily involved. They created an Instagram account, @kelownaprochoiceprotest, to help raise awareness and organize events.

Gathering on July 4, which is marked as Independence Day in America, was chosen symbolically, "to fight for the USA’s anatomical independence."

Harms said the pair were nervous at first that nobody would show up, but around 100 people came, with most carrying signs with various messages and slogans.

“People have been so supportive, and it’s really cool to see, to be able to unify all these voices and to be together today and to just meet so many people who are passionate about the same thing we are,” Heller said.

The demonstration Monday was largely a show of solidarity for women in the U.S.A., but also to raise awareness for difficulties that groups like queer, BIPOC, and Indigenous people face in accessing abortion services.

Across the street, a small number of counter protesters representing pro-life ideologies gathered with their own signs. Security guards and RCMP officers were on hand.

Despite the court decision affecting American policy, Harms said it’s still important to fight for the protection of those rights in Canada, too.

“I think that the right to bodily autonomy transcends borders,” she said. “If it’s lost in one place, it’s felt in another.”