Protests continue outside the Supreme Court and nationwide following abortion rights ruling

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Across the nation, protests continue outside the U.S. Supreme Court and in cities large and small following the court’s controversial decision to strike down the nearly 50-year-old ruling which protected a woman’s right to obtain an abortion under the constitution. Individual states will now decide laws on the right to choose.

Read the court’s full opinion here.

High fences and barricades surround the court as the crowd continues to demonstrate. Anti-abortion advocates were among the protestors Friday. However, the overwhelming majority of demonstrators in the Washington, D.C. crowd show support for abortion rights.

One woman, who did not want to be named, attended the rally in an outfit to reflect the popular fictional television series “The Handmaid’s Tale.” She compares the plot of the show to modern-day America.

“They’ve taken away all of women’s rights (in the show) and they have forced them to become essentially baby factories. Fertile women have been corralled and forced to be impregnated by rape so that they can have babies and increase the population. And, I honestly believe that’s where this country is headed. This is another step in that direction” she said. She later added, “I’ve seen this coming. I’ve been talking about it coming and I was told I was crazy and that I was hysterical and that this wouldn’t happen. And, it just happened anyway.”

Daryl Northrop of Virginia was among the men supporting women’s rights at the protest.

“We’re here to support women’s right to choose. And, women’s rights to have control over their own body. Because, that’s what true freedom is. And, that’s what white men have taken for granted - complete control over our own bodies. Women should have the same and the Supreme Court is taking that away. We’re not going to stand for it,” he said.

Northrop said, “the GOP and the right wing have been working for decades to roll back women’s rights. This is part of a process for them. They’ll keep going. They will not stop.”

Northrop believes the majority opinions opens the door for same-sex marriage to also be overturned, adding “they’re going to be coming after the right to contraception next and they’ll be coming after interracial marriage eventually.”

As for Democrats role in protecting women’s rights, he said, “all the Democrats do is fundraise off this. They failed women.”

Other protestors are concerned about the near-term impacts of the ruling.

“I’m mostly scared for the women who don’t have the privilege to be able to leave the state or have the financial access to abortions that they need to,” said Maya Sjoberg, a college student.

President Biden called the decision a “sad day for the court and for the country” and announced these actions.

The anti-abortion group National Right To Life called it a “glorious day.”

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