MOSCOW — A Monday event in downtown Moscow commemorating the anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned drew hundreds of people, including protesters, to Main Street.

People on both sides of the abortion debate gathered at the “Life Day Block Party,” which closed down part of Main Street during the afternoon. The event was organized by RedBalloon and Bohnet Music Academy, two local businesses with connections to Christ Church.

Jacob Rush, a RedBalloon employee who helped organize the event, said the block party is tied to the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, but it is more broadly a pro-life celebration.

“We believe life is a gift from God,” he said.

Rush said RedBalloon took the day off work two years ago when the Supreme Court made their decision and treated it like a company holiday.

Monday’s event included food from local businesses, hymn singing and a “toast” to the end of Roe v Wade.

Rush said they applied for and received the appropriate permits from the city to host the event on Main Street. He said the organizers did not advertise the event publicly, but he said it is a way to involve local businesses and help give back to the community.

Despite the lack of advertising, word about the event spread and drew protesters who advocated for abortion-rights policies. Café Artista owner Bev Bafus helped spread the word through social media, and approximately 50 protesters arrived. Many of them brought signs.

Signs in front of Café Artista shared information on how many OBGYNs have left Idaho since the Roe v. Wade decision. Another asked people to support Bans Off Moscow, a political action committee aiming to end Idaho’s abortion bans.

Protesters expressed not only their frustration with anti-abortion policies, but their displeasure that a polarizing event was allowed to disrupt downtown Moscow for an afternoon.

Carrie and Debbie Lee decided to close their Main Street business, Intrigue, for the afternoon in response to the block party.

“I believe strongly in a woman’s right to choose and our rights are being eroded,” Carrie Lee said.

Additionally, Carrie Lee said they were concerned for the safety of their employee, who works in a store that supports abortion rights.

The business owners also wanted to protest an event they believe should be held in a park, or some other neutral location that does not interfere with downtown businesses.

Debbie Lee called the block party a ”divisive act.”

“This little town does not need to be divided any more,” she said.

Viola resident and fellow protester Deborah Thorne echoed this sentiment.

“That’s really detrimental to our community businesses, and it’s disrespectful as hell to do it for something like this,” she said.

Abortion rights is a personal issue for Thorne, who said her mother was forced to undergo a dangerous abortion in the late 1950s before it was legalized.

“That’s why I’m here,” she said. “I won’t stand for that. It’s cruel.”

Moscow resident Sherry Dodson had an abortion at age 19 — a decision she does not regret — and said anti-abortion advocates “don’t care how many women die.”

“Abortion restrictions kill women,” she said.

Rush said he was “very pleased” about the turnout for Monday’s event and offered his thoughts on the protesters.

“To me, it seems there’s a cognitive dissonance at play when you have a bunch of people celebrating life, and there’s young children and free food and happiness and joy and folks who seem to not want that,” he said.

Aside from some heated arguments, the block party came and went without incident.

Some of the passing cars honked in support of the protesters. A semitruck driver stopped at a red light on Third Street sounded his horn until the light turned green, which drew cheers from the abortion-rights advocates.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.