Abortion will not end till peoples hearts are changed. No new law, no demostrations will make a difference, we have to change hearts and minds
If your kid reaches out to the stove, do you refuse to impose a "no touching the hot stove" rule, on the grounds that a change in behavior should not be engendered by external authority?
That is a parallel to the "we don't need laws against abortion, we need to change hearts and minds" (paraphrase) position.
The fact is, laws affect behavior. Are laws alone enough? No. Social conditions too must change, and popular sentiment also.
But judicial rulings, and then laws, are a critical part of the mix.