Protests against the repeal of abortion rights in the USA: cities, times and route
The reversal of Roe v Wade has sparked protests across the nation from pro-choice advocates dismayed with the Supreme Court’s decision.
The Supreme Court has overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade ruling, destroying the constitutional protection for abortion rights that has been in place for nearly half a century.
The decision was the culmination of a decades-long attempt to remove abortion protection in the United States, aided by the newly conservative leaning of the Court which has made the ruling possible.
Friday’s verdict was foreshadowed in a leaked draft opinion that was made public in early May, but the anticipation has done nothing to dampen the strength of feeling. The Court’s decision has been met by widespread protests from pro-choice activists across the country.
If you want to get involved, advocacy group We Won’t Go Back lets you see the pro-choice protests happening near you.
Supreme Court, Washington DC
In the immediate aftermath of the decision being made public, droves of protestors descended on the Supreme Court in Washington DC to voice their opposition to the ruling. The crowd continued to grow throughout the day with protestors demonstrating peacefully.
Some carried placards that read “Overturn Roe? Hell No” and “Abortion on demand and without apology,” while others chanted “We won’t go back! We won’t go back!”
There were also anti-abortion demonstrators who had gathered to celebrate the news. In response the Metropolitan Police Department said it would be under a “full departmental activation” until Tuesday to deal with the fallout.
St Louis Planned Parenthood, Missouri
Missouri is one of the states with the toughest record on abortion in the entire country and the state’s trigger law means that abortion is now illegal. A raft of laws introduced in recent years had chipped away at abortion rights even before Friday’s Supreme Court ruling.
The restrictions were so severe that the entire state had just one functioning abortion clinic, in the state capital of St Louis. Today crowd of protests have gathered at the Planned Parenthood building and have marched through the city to demonstrate against the decision.
State House, Massachusetts
The status of abortion in the state of Massachusetts remains fairly secure for now, but residents have taken to the streets to protest the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v Wade.
Progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren appeared alongside Attorney General Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and told the crowd: “The forces that brought us this day are continuing to gather, are continuing to exercise their muscle. They will not rest until they ban abortion across this nation. This is the fight we are in.”
Widespread protests, Florida
With roughly half of all states expected to enact some laws which make abortion either illegal or more difficult to get, Florida is one of those tipped to impose more restrictions. Gov. Ron DeSantis has previously signed a bill which would ban abortions after 15 weeks, which had been blocked by Roe v Wade’s stipulation of foetal viability.
However with Roe overturned it appears that he will be able to enforce the bill as wished, greatly reducing the availability of the procedure for the state’s residents. In response, protests popped up in towns and cities across the Florida.