Abortion rights groups rally across U.S.

Thousands of U.S. residents have taken part in massive abortion protests right across the nation on Saturday, vowing they ‘will not go back’

There were over 380 demonstrations including central events in the major cities of Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

It comes as the Supreme Court is expected to overturn the key Roe v Wade decision which will see abortion laws up to the discretion of individual states.

In cities across the United States Saturday, thousands of abortion rights supporters gathered in what organizers said would be “a summer of rage” if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

More than 400 “Bans Off Our Bodies” marches were planned by abortion rights groups across the country in response to the May 2 leak of a draft opinion showing the court’s conservative majority ready to reverse the 1973 landmark decision – which established a federal constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.

Former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Elizabeth Holtzman, joined others on Saturday:

“This is a decision that treats women as objects, as less than full human beings. It puts us back. I’ve been fighting for women’s rights for 50 years, and I’m not going to give up. Everybody here is not going to give up.”

JEN GOMEZ: “…people are going to find other means to get abortions. And unfortunately, it’s the lower income minorities who are going to be affected the most.”

KRISTIN MEYERING: “…I mean the more time that we waste, the more women are going to die from this because abortions are going to happen regardless and it’s going to result in more deaths for particularly disadvantaged and marginalized women.”

In the past week, protesters have gathered outside the homes of Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh, who have voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to the leaked opinion.

Justice Clarence Thomas said at a conference in Dallas on Friday that trust within the court was “gone forever” following the leak.

Meanwhile, Democrats – who currently hold the White House and both chambers of Congress – hope that backlash to the Supreme Court decision will carry their party’s candidates to victory in congressional elections in November.

But voters will be weighing abortion rights against other issues such as the soaring prices of food and gas – and they may be skeptical of Democrats’ ability to protect abortion access after efforts to pass legislation that would enshrine abortion rights in federal law failed.

The Supreme Court’s final ruling, which could give states the power to ban abortion, is expected in June.