Washington DC—Thousands rallied at the Washington Monument for reproductive rights in the nation’s capital as the U.S. Supreme Court was poised to overturn its 50-year old benchmark Roe v. Wade ruling. At the Washington Monument speakers told stories of what healthcare looked like before the pivotal ruling legalizing abortion in 1973. They said that overturning abortion rights would push the country back to a time when many died or were no longer able to give birth because of botched procedures and the fact that safe procedures were then not legal or available.
They marched in waves to the U.S. Capitol and past the Supreme Court, chanting and carrying the signs they made. Some had plans to later continue their protests at the suburban homes of the six conservative justices who signed the draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.
Sister marches were held in cities across the U.S. as the grassroots swell of resistence grew across the nation. All indications of increasing police and political pressure to restrict access around the U.S. Capitol and U.S. Supreme Court buildings have only served to make protests grow as realization sinks in that healthcare liberties are at risk, and with them the threat to other pivotal Supreme Court decisions such as Civil rights, same sex marriage, interracial marriage, and contraceptive rights.
Demonstrations have been held daily outside the Supreme Court as organizers mapped out plans to circumvent the coming ruling by planning free services and safe-haven city zones in States for those seeking healthcare options outside the States that have already passed restricive healthcare laws.
There were rows of barricades and law enforcement at the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court in anticipation of the large march. As the marchers proceeded up Constitution Avenue, they chanted “Bans off our bodies!” and “Our bodies, our choice!” and when they reached the Supreme Court, they chanted “We will not go back!” and “We will not obey!”
Mayor Muriel Bowser vowed to make Washington DC a safe-haven for anyone seeking abortions. There are over 700,000 residents living in the District proper who do not have a voice in the U.S. Legislative because they do not have elected Representatives and Senators. Since DC does not have statehood, the DC Mayor serves in a role as if she were a State Governor but with oversight from the U.S. Congress so any such declaration of safe-haven she makes could be rescinded by a conservative U.S. Legislature in tandem with a Supreme Court overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Protesters Walk Past Homes of Supreme Court Justices
Although Republican Legislators frowned on protests outside the suburban homes of Supreme Court Justices, protesters have walked past the homes of the six conservative Justices since the draft opinion was leaked on May 2. Virginia and Maryland State Governors Glenn Youngkin and Larry Hogan have asked the Department of Justice to step in to prevent protests from going to Jurists’ homes but the White House sided with protesters saying the First Amendment allows for peaceful assembly there. And that didn’t stop Saturday’s protesters from going to the homes of all six conservative Supreme Court Justices. Organizers coordinated a series of break-away protests and visited all six justices who signed on Justice Alito’s draft opinion. There have been cordons of Federal and State police outside the homes to monitor the protests.
One group of about 20 protesters showed up at Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home in Chevy Chase, Maryland and then walked about a mile to Chief Justice John Robert’s home in an adjacent neighborhood. They were met by lines of police outside both homes, wearing different uniforms and from different agencies. Typically Federal police agencies are tasked to provide security for high-ranking government officials, but there were also State police and DC police on the scene—which numbered about 20 officers in uniform—more than one officer for every protester that walked by.
The protesters were both vocal and persistent, walking past Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home eight times. There were no signs anyone was present inside. Local residents looked from their windows and some waved in approval while many blew horns in support as they passed. One nearby resident came out to ask the protesters how to connect with the activists so she could organize others in the neighborhood to join the protesters.
Other groups visited the homes of Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch and Barrett. Police in Virginia restricted access the Justice Thomas’s home but it only served to make protesters inconvenience neighborhood traffic by impeding it.
Voices of Women Fighting To Keep Reproductive Rights (Video Below)
Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood b. Casey have not been overturned—yet. Overwhelmingly women want it to stay that way. The Supreme Court is expected to rule in early June after this term has ended. These are some of the voices of the supporters who marched Saturday.
Rosemary (No Last Name Given) in her 60s
”Leave women’s bodies alone. Let us make our own decisions-please. I can’t believe we’re going back in our history. In 1973 it was very, very scary. If you were accidentally pregnant you had no place to go.”
Julia Scotton, in her 50s
”Stop this Court from taking us back to the 1950s. They have no right to control women’s bodies. A fetus is not a baby. The sad thing about this is they only care about the fetus. Once the baby is born they don’t provide healthcare, food, shelter, or anything else. So is this really about pro-life? No. Its about keeping women down and its about keeping the poor poorer. Because who can’t afford to go out of State or out of Country for an abortion? Poor people. The rich women will still be able to have abortions at will. This is nothing about pro-life.”
Katherine Schultz, 20s, Mother of one daughter
”My daughter should have human rights. Withholding abortion is a form of torture. I hope that when she grows up she has the right to abortion whenever she wants and for whatever reason.”
Kate Bigley, High School Student
“We have to do something about this. This fight has already happened. Its terrible we have to do it again. It infuriates me. It terrorizes me. I can’t believe I’m growing up in a Country where basic human rights are something we have to fight so bitterly for. But that doesn’t take away my determination to do that fight again. The reasoning of [Alito’s draft opinion] can be applied to turning back contraceptives, the rights to get contraceptives, and the rights to gay marriage. Its the logic that’s used that os dangerous and the fact that a body of people who are trusted to be objective to carrying out the Constitution are applying it in ways that roll back fundamental rights.”
