Abortion-rights protesters rally in US cities after Supreme Court leak
- Leaked Supreme Court draft ruling indicated an end to nationwide legal abortion
- Protesters on both sides of the hotly-debated issue gathered in US cities on Tuesday
Protesters rallied under the slogan “off our bodies” in cities across the United States, demanding abortion rights be protected after the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn the landmark 1973 Roe vs Wade decision.
Thousands of people turned out for an abortion-rights rally on Tuesday in New York City, one of the largest demonstrations as Americans awoke to political and social upheaval, months before voters go to the polls in congressional midterm elections.
“I hope it inspires people to show up in the midterms and vote, and that’s the one thing that I’m looking at as a positive,” Alaina Feehan, 41, a talent manager in New York City, said, calling the moment a “call to action”.
US President Joe Biden has already weighed in on the politically explosive issue, urging voters to elect officials who back abortion rights and calling on Congress to enshrine legal abortion in US law, warning that the ruling, if finalised, would have implications beyond abortion.
Protests were held in US cities coast to coast, including Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle, as the national Women’s March organisation urged supporters to bring families and signs to “courthouses and federal buildings everywhere” promoting the social media hashtag #BansOffOurBodies.
The Supreme Court itself became the epicentre for some of the earliest protests on both sides of the issue after the surprise publication of the 98-page draft ruling late on Monday by the news outlet Politico.