Thousands march for abortion rights across US, protesting against Texas law
- Texas adopted a law on September 1 banning almost all abortions, unleashing a fierce counter-attack in the courts and in Congress
- The US Supreme Court, which will have the final say on the contentious issue, is due to reconvene in two days
In Washington, about 10,000 protesters rallied in a square near the White House under sunny skies before marching to the US Supreme Court, which will have the final say on the contentious issue.
The protesters held signs that read “Mind your uterus” and “Make abortion legal”, with several women – and men – dressed like late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, America’s iconic women’s rights crusader, who died last year.
The perennial fight over the procedure in America has become even more intense since a Texas law went into effect on September 1 banning almost all abortions, unleashing a fierce counter-attack in the courts and Congress, but with few public demonstrations until now.
Two days before the Supreme Court is due to reconvene, the rallies took place in more than 600 cities, according to organisers, who said that hundreds of thousands of people gathered across all 50 states.
“Women are humans, we are full humans, and we need to be treated like full humans,” said Laura Bushwitz, a 66-year-old retired Florida teacher protesting in Washington, wearing a dress with portraits of women activists and politicians.