On Saturday, thousands of people crowded around the US capital, protesting over the repeal
of Roe v Wade and thus their abortion rights. They chanted “we won’t go back” as they marched around the White House.
This happened two weeks after the Supreme Court decided to repeal Roe v Wade. The ruling
had guaranteed abortion access nationwide for 50 years.
A 33-year-old attorney from Dallas, Lauren Pierce, was among the 10,000 people who
attended the demonstration.
She said, “There’s nothing, to me, more worth fighting for than this cause – our fundamental
right to have bodily autonomy. If that means taking up space and getting arrested then I think
it’s worth it.”
Pierce’s home state, Texas, is one of the 10 states in the US where abortion is now prohibited.
At least a dozen more states are expected to do the same.
After hearing that some Texans found themselves without any reproductive care. The average
driving distance for someone in Texas looking for an abortion int he first 20 weeks of pregnancy is 250 miles away, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
“We’re blocked in,” Pierce said.
On Friday, Joe Biden signed an executive order directing his health department to protect
abortion care, including safeguards for patient privacy, access to medication abortion, and
emergency contraception. He said he made this decision due to facing pressure from
progressives.
Many anti-abortion campaigners, most of which see abortion as “murder”, have celebrated the
decision to prohibit abortion.
However, even the president cannot force a policy through legislation in Congress or undo the decision of the Supreme Court, which is now controlled by a 6-3 conservative supermajority.
40 million women of reproductive age are expected to lose access to abortion in the next few
weeks.
of Roe v Wade and thus their abortion rights. They chanted “we won’t go back” as they marched around the White House.
This happened two weeks after the Supreme Court decided to repeal Roe v Wade. The ruling
had guaranteed abortion access nationwide for 50 years.
A 33-year-old attorney from Dallas, Lauren Pierce, was among the 10,000 people who
attended the demonstration.
She said, “There’s nothing, to me, more worth fighting for than this cause – our fundamental
right to have bodily autonomy. If that means taking up space and getting arrested then I think
it’s worth it.”
Pierce’s home state, Texas, is one of the 10 states in the US where abortion is now prohibited.
At least a dozen more states are expected to do the same.
After hearing that some Texans found themselves without any reproductive care. The average
driving distance for someone in Texas looking for an abortion int he first 20 weeks of pregnancy is 250 miles away, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
“We’re blocked in,” Pierce said.
On Friday, Joe Biden signed an executive order directing his health department to protect
abortion care, including safeguards for patient privacy, access to medication abortion, and
emergency contraception. He said he made this decision due to facing pressure from
progressives.
Many anti-abortion campaigners, most of which see abortion as “murder”, have celebrated the
decision to prohibit abortion.
However, even the president cannot force a policy through legislation in Congress or undo the decision of the Supreme Court, which is now controlled by a 6-3 conservative supermajority.
40 million women of reproductive age are expected to lose access to abortion in the next few
weeks.
