Abortion rights protests ‘ban our bodies’: Protests begin
WASHINGTON – Protesters are gathering in the nation’s capital and Protests are planned in hundreds of cities on Saturday to protest after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion suggested the court could overturn nearly 50-year precedent set by Roe v. Wade.
According to organizers, more than 380 “Forbidden From Our Bodies” protests for abortion rights have been planned, the largest of which are expected to be in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Austin. , Texas, according to the organizers. Sponsors of the one-day event include Women’s March, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, UltraViolet, MoveOn, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Breaking Rights Action League Thai National.
Planned Parenthood began organizing “action days” across the country months before draft Supreme Court position that would overturn Roe v. Wade’s 1973 decision spark leak celebration of anti-abortion protesters and Protests outside the Supreme Courtcurrently surrounded by a security fence, and Justice’s house.
The protests took place a few days after Senate fails to pass bill that would protect abortion rights nationwide.
In Washington, abortion rights advocates gathered near the Washington Monument on Saturday said they doubt the conservative Supreme Court will change course and vote in favor of Roe vs. Wade. But they say they want their voices heard.
“We can put pressure on them,” said Sandra Harrington, 61, a retired public education administrator from Warrenton, Va.
Protesters gathered under cloudy skies and occasional drizzle. Rain is forecast throughout the afternoon, with temperatures around 70 degrees. As a result, many attendees wore ponchos and carried umbrellas.
More than 15,000 protesters are expected to attend the rally in downtown Washington, according to permits filed with the National Park Service.
Jen Giordano, 51, a salesperson from Mt. Pleasant, SC, to attend the DC rally on Saturday morning, said: “I’m here for my daughter and my daughter.
Supporters wearing pro-Roe t-shirts gathered at the stage where speakers were scheduled to address the crowd shortly after noon. Protesters will then march down Constitution Avenue more than 15 blocks to the Supreme Court building itself to make a direct appeal on the abortion issue.
While organizers handed out mass-produced placards with generic messages – “Forbidden from our bodies”, “How dare they” – many protesters created their own posters. banners with more personal and cynical messages, including “Quit SCOTUS” and “You Can’t Ban Abortion, You Can Only Ban Safe Abortion. “
Deborah Stoll, 70, a retired clinical psychologist from Takoma Park, Maryland, carries a handmade sign that reads, “The hardest decision a woman can make is not hers. friend.”
A growing crowd has also formed in Cleveland, Ohio chants including “OHIO abortion ban must be enforced” followed pictures of the scene shared on social media.
Teisha Kimmons, who traveled 80 miles to attend a rally in Chicago, said she fears for women in states willing to ban abortion. She said she might not be alive today if she hadn’t had a legal abortion when she was 15.
“I’ve started self-harming and I’d rather die than give birth,” says Kimmons, a massage therapist from Rockford, Illinois.
Contribution: Associated Press
Contact Breaking News Reporter N’dea Yancey-Bragg at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @NdeaYanceyBragg