Holding signs that proclaimed that Mitchell was "dangerous" for reproductive health, they called on her to take a clearer position against the abortion bans that are hovering over Arizona. A 15-week ban is currently the law, while a sweeping territorial-era ban was reinstated in September before it was temporarily blocked by a judge.
"[Mitchell is] putting lives at risk and a target on doctors' backs in a moment when we need our providers most," said Chris Love, an attorney and former board chair of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, speaking to press outside of the office. She was joined by activists with Mass Liberation, an advocacy group that staged the event.
The bright red signs that protesters held on Wednesday are smaller versions of ones that will be seen above freeways across Maricopa County. Mass Liberation also launched a billboard campaign against Mitchell — like the organization did in 2021 during a lengthy, and ultimately successful, campaign demanding the resignation of former County Attorney Allister Adel.
With the fall of Roe v. Wade, abortion rights are once again in the hands of states and municipalities. The powerful Maricopa County Attorney's Office, one of the largest prosecutorial agencies in the nation, will play a major role in how abortion cases are handled in Arizona moving forward. Mitchell was appointed in April to lead the office after Adel resigned. She faces a fall election against Democrat Julie Gunnigle.
In Arizona, some jurisdictions are taking stands against abortion bans. Pima County Attorney Laura Conover has been actively involved in Planned Parenthood's legal battle to stop Arizona's 1864 abortion ban, and promised publicly that her office will ensure that "no person seeking in or assisting an abortion will spend a night in jail."
On Tuesday, the city of Phoenix voted to deprioritize abortion cases for its law enforcement — delegating such cases as the "lowest priority," despite calls from some on the City Council to take an even stronger stance and prevent any enforcement of the laws at all.

DeShawn Taylor, founder of Desert Star Family Planning, said she feared that prosecutors will criminalize medical professionals under the state's abortion law.
Katya Schwenk
'Will Rachel Mitchell Prosecute Me?'
Mitchell has been elusive on how she'll enforce abortion bans. Recently, she issued a brief statement that said she would not "prosecute women for having abortions." This was a major departure from past statements in which she hedged on the issue and said her role was to "enforce the law." In recent months, she's flip-flopped on abortion prosecutions.Mitchell's office did not immediately reply to a New Times request for comment for this story. The office has previously declined requests for interviews with Mitchell on the issue. Her campaign has not responded.
Patricia Pagliuca, an organizer with Mass Liberation, called Mitchell's recent about-face on abortion "intentionally misleading."

An advocacy group has launched a billboard campaign against Mitchell over her stance on abortion.
Katya Schwenk
"Rachel Mitchell would have us believe that her statement was a long overdue clarification of the unclear abortion laws in Arizona," Pagliuca said. But the statement was actually a "political ploy" in advance of the midterm, she continued. "Rachel Mitchell knows full well the impact of her refusal to exempt doctors and health care providers."
DeShawn Taylor — founder and owner of Desert Star Family Planning, a Phoenix clinic that provides reproductive health services, including abortion — said she fears that Mitchell will prosecute her and other medical professionals.
"I went to medical school to become a physician and help people. Not to be criminalized for providing people with essential health care," Taylor said. "Not to be criminalized by people intending to enforce unjust laws."
"Will Rachel Mitchell prosecute me? And send me to jail?" she asked the crowd.
So far, Mitchell has offered no clear answer.