Protesters have gathered at the U.S. Supreme Court to voice their opposition to the controversial Roe Versus Wade ruling
President Joe Biden says his administration will fight any attempts by states who ban a pill used for medication abortion.
Hundreds of protesters descended on the U.S. Supreme Court Saturday to denounce the justices’ decision to overturn the half-century-old Roe v. Wade precedent that recognized women’s constitutional right to abortion.
The crowd featured both abortion rights supporters…
ABORTION RIGHTS SUPPORTERS:
“My body my choice.”
…and anti-abortion activists.
ANTI-ABORTION ACTIVIST:
“We are the post-Roe generation.”
Meanwhile, tensions were high at Mississippi’s sole abortion clinic.
The Jackson Women’s Health Organization, nicknamed the “Pink House” because of its bubble gum-colored paint, was named in the Supreme Court case.
The clinic was still operating Saturday morning but is set to close in nine days.
Both supporters of abortion rights and those that want to see them curtailed were looking ahead to what comes next.
COLEMAN BOYD, ANTI-ABORTION ACTIVIST, SAYING:
“We need to work in states like New York, in Colorado, New Mexico, those places that have really liberal abortion laws in California. Now, we do need to be working there.”
LAUREN SPIGNER, ABORTION RIGHTS ACTIVIST, SAYING:
“I think Clarence Thomas made it pretty clear his opinion that this is just the beginning of the rights they want to take away.”
U.S. President Joe Biden said Saturday his administration would look to police how states enforce bans and signaled that the White House will fight attempts by states to ban a pill used for medication abortion.
“A decision is implemented by states. My administration is going to focus on how they administer and whether or not they violate other laws, like deciding not to allow people across state lines to get public health services.”
And when asked if he thought the Supreme Court was broken after the Roe decision and a recent one on gun rights, he had this to say:
“The Supreme Court has made some terrible decisions.”
The court’s ruling is at odds with broader public opinion – a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that about 71% of Americans said the decisions about terminating a pregnancy should be left to a woman and her doctor and not regulated by the government.
Twenty-six percent of respondents polled said abortion should be legal in all cases while 10% said it should be illegal in all cases, with the majority supporting some limits.
