Protests for abortion rights “Bans Off Our Bodies”: protests begin
WASHINGTON — Protesters gather in the nation’s capital and rallies are planned in hundreds of cities Saturday to protest after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion shows the court could overturn the nearly 50-year-old precedent set by Roe c. Wade.
More than 380 “Bans Off Our Bodies” protests for abortion rights are planned, with the largest expected in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Austin, Texas, according to organizers. Sponsors of the one-day event include Women’s March, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, UltraViolet, MoveOn, American Civil Liberties Union and National Abortion Rights Action League.
Planned Parenthood began organizing the nationwide “day of action” months before a proposed Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade from 1973 was disclosed, sparking celebrations from anti-abortion protesters and demonstrations outside the Supreme Court, which is now surrounded by a security fence, and the Houses of Justice.
The protests come days after the Senate failed to pass a bill that would have enshrined a national right to abortion.
In the nation’s capital, abortion-rights supporters gathered near the Washington Monument mid-morning Saturday said they doubted the conservative Supreme Court would change course and vote for Roe over Wade. But they said they wanted their voices heard.
Protesters gathered under cloudy skies and the occasional drizzle. Rain is forecast throughout the afternoon, with temperatures around 70 degrees. As a result, many attendees wore ponchos and carried umbrellas.
“I’m here to support women and encourage the Supreme Court not to overrule our constitutional right,” said Sandra Harrington, 61, a retired public education administrator from Warrenton, Va.
“We can put some pressure on them,” she continued. “I unfortunately think it’s a done deal, and I’m terribly sad about that.”
More than 15,000 protesters are expected to attend the rally in downtown Washington, according to a permit filed with the National Park Service.
Supporters wearing pro-Roe t-shirts gathered on the stage where speakers are due to address crowds shortly after noon before protesters marched down Constitution Avenue more than 15 blocks from the Supreme Court building himself to make a direct appeal on the issue of abortion.
“I’m here for my daughter and my daughter’s daughter,” said Jen Giordano, 51, a saleswoman who traveled from Mt. Pleasant, SC, Saturday morning to attend the DC rally.
A growing crowd formed in Cleveland, Ohio chanting phrases such as “OHIO abortion bans must go” according to footage shared on social media from the scene.
Teisha Kimmons, who traveled 80 miles to attend a rally in Chicago, said she fears for women in states that are prepared to ban abortion. She said she might not be alive today if she hadn’t had a legal abortion when she was 15.
“I was already starting to self-harm and I would have rather died than have a baby,” said Kimmons, a massage therapist from Rockford, Illinois.
Contributor: The Associated Press
Contact Breaking News reporter N’dea Yancey-Bragg at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @NdeaYanceyBragg
USA Today
