Photo: Mathieu Lewis-Rolland / Getty Images
By: EFE Updated 25 Jun 2022, 9: 00 am EDT
Thousands of people took to the streets in dozens of cities in the United States to protest the Court’s ruling Supreme Court that on Friday eliminated federal protection of the right to abortion, called Roe v. Wade, which has allowed several states to restrict that right.
One of the most massive protests was in Washington, where hundreds of people gathered for hours in front of the Supreme Court shouting “My body, my decision!” or “Let’s abort the Court!”.
Similar slogans were heard in as many as 70 locations in the United States, according to the network’s count CNN.
Some had been organized for Friday night by groups like Planned Parenthood, the organization that manages the largest network of reproductive health clinics in the United States; but others emerged spontaneously with women who came together to raise their voices.
The protests were especially numerous in the main US cities, such as New York, where thousands of people gathered in Washington Square Park, a central square that traditionally hosts political rallies and demonstrations.
In Los Angeles, California, protesters blocked traffic on the downtown, while in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) thousands gathered in front of the emblematic City Hall and in Austin (Texas) there was a protest in front of the federal court.
Other hundreds of people took to the streets in Atlanta (Georgia) in two different demonstrations that joined at the foot of the state parliament.
Incidents in Iowa and Arizona
Most of the marches took place peacefully, although there were incidents in the towns of Cedar Rapids (Iowa) and Phoenix (Arizona).
In Phoenix, the Police used tear gas to disperse protesters who had gathered in front of the Arizona Parliament and who were forcefully hitting the windows of the building, something that had forced state senators to adjourn.
The Phoenix Police assured in a statement that had used tear gas because the demonstrators “tried to break the glass” of the building.
On the other hand, in Cedar Rapids, two people were injured when they were hit by a car during a protest.
In a statement, Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said police were investigating the incident.
The Supreme Court ruling against abortion has generated a great level of confusion and clinics in some states, such as those in Arizona, have stopped performing abortions for fear of facing criminal consequences.
Meanwhile, abortion is already illegal in nine states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wisconsin).
All of them had previously approved laws aimed at prohibiting abortion and that came into force as soon as the decision of the Supreme Court was made public.
The Planned Parenthood organization, which manages the largest network of reproductive health clinics in the United States, estimates that 26 states will end up prohibiting the right to abortion, in a matter of d days, weeks or months.
Also read:
- California, Oregon and Washington unite to defend the right to abortion
- Nine states have already imposed restrictive abortion laws after the Roe v. Wade ruling
- A Supreme Court judge asks to overturn legal precedents on contraception and LGBTQ rights