In a statement against recent Supreme Court decisions, a group of Breckenridge residents silently protested during the reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. 

Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Famer C.J. Mueller was reading into the first few sentences of the declaration at noon on Monday when several of the protesters raised signs in support of abortion access. 

Signs reading “All Americans Deserve Freedom” and “We’re Not All Free” were held high above protesters’ heads during the reading and stayed up throughout the entire declaration. Some signs had information about abortion funds and other local resources for reproductive rights. 

Over the past weeks, Summit County residents have organized gatherings to protest the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the court cases that solidified the right to abortion under the constitutional right to privacy. The court ruled in favor of Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. 

On Friday, a group of Summit County teenagers gathered in Frisco to speak about the decision for people in states where access is restricted, and in May, a small group gathered to discuss the leaked Supreme Court opinion before the official ruling. 

In April, Gov. Jared Polis signed the Reproductive Health Equity Act, which allows anyone who needs an abortion to receive one and codifies the right to an abortion into state law.