Protesters Rally Outside Hobby Lobby in Mass.

Protesters voice opposition to ruling that businesses don't have to provide free birth control

SEEKONK, Mass. (AP) - Protesters from southern New England have rallied outside Hobby Lobby Inc. store in Seekonk to protest a U.S. Supreme Court decision that organizers say reduces access to reproductive health services and birth control.

The court's June 30 ruling found that some businesses can, because of their religious beliefs, choose not to comply with the federal health care law's requirement that contraception coverage be provided to workers at no extra charge. Hobby Lobby's challenge triggered the decision.

Protesters from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut on Saturday gathered outside the Hobby Lobby store in Seekonk, calling for a boycott of the business.

Steve Ahlquist, a protest organizer, says about two dozen protesters were on hand for the protest. He says most passersby supported expressed support for the protest by honking their horns, but a few opposed them.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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