Protesters of abortion rights in New York, DC indignation by Roe v Wade SCOTUS leak
Protesters of abortion rights in New York, DC indignation by Roe v Wade SCOTUS leak
Thousands of demonstrators flooded Foley Square in NYC on Tuesday, Indignant by a draft opinion leaked by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in favour of overthrowing Roe v. Wade and ending the constitutional right to abortion.
“We will not go backwards. We will not go back to the days when we used wire hangers,”
New York Attorney General Letitia James told the crowd she had aborted while she was on the city council.
“Not now, not ever. The right to control our bodies is a fundamental right enshrined in the 14th Amendment. And if they go after this right, who’s next?” James continued.
Thousands more activists took to the streets of the nation’s capital in D.C., D.C., demonstrating to defend Roe v. Wade – which legalized abortion in 1973 – and to protect the rights of women.
“The government shouldn’t be in the business of blocking access to health care,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser, “Washington, D.C. is a pro-choice city.”
In contrast to the abortion debate, pro-life groups claim that their goal is to protect unborn children.
“We are still going to be on the ground seeking to create a life-affirming society for mothers and their unborn children,” said Jessica Rodgers, vice president of D.C. Metro Life Alliance, in an interview.
Back in New York, protesters expressed fear and frustration about the idea that Roe v Wade would be overthrown.
“These are rights that my mom tried to secure for me and my daughter,” said 36-year-old New Yorker Liana Stamper. “I’m upset that this is where we’re at and our choices are being stripped from us and it’s happening in 2022.”
In anticipation of a fight over the right to abortion, New York will create a fund for women who want to come here for an abortion if the state in which they live imposes a prohibition.
“This is a five-alarm fire, my friends,” James said. “It’s a fight that’s going to take all of us to win.”