IMAGE GALLERY: Catholics, Others Protest Federal Contraception Mandate

About 200 people gathered outside the James Cleveland Federal Building on Pleasant Street in Concord on March 23 to rally for religious freedom and protest federally mandated contraception coverage required in the new , also known as .

The rally was one of 140 held by Catholics and other religious leaders across the country to mark the second anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act. The protesters called on elected officials to remove the mandate requiring employer health plans “to provide free contraception, sterilizations, and abortion-inducing drugs, regardless of any moral or religious objections,” and respect freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and the rights of all Americans.

Participating in the rally in Concord were Jim Preisendorfer, a parishioner at who organized the rally, Father Richard Roberge of , the collective of three Catholic parishes in Concord, Ellen Kolb, the legislative director of , and Dean Jim Locke of St. Therese’s in Henniker.

Here are some photos from the rally. Concord NH Patch will have video clips and another story later today.