- Rallies were held in multiple cities hours after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade.
- The decision paves the way for states to enact abortion bans.
Hours after the Supreme Court announced it had struck down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, throngs of pro-choice Americans took to the streets vowing to continue the fight.
In New York's Washington Square Park, a somber and angry crowd began assembling at 5 p.m. ET. They held handwritten signs with words like "Betrayed" or "My corpse has more rights." Some were smeared with red paint.
"The justices have blood on their hands," one of the protesters explained.
"I just keep saying it's an incredibly sad day," said Marianna Ban, 20, a member of the group NYC Radical Women. "We knew it was coming and now it's here. But it's hopeful how many people showed up today that is a little glimmer of hope."
New York
Los Angeles, California
In downtown Los Angeles, a protest outside the federal courthouse attracted a diverse crowd of about 300 people.
Speaker after speaker warned that the Supreme Court's new arch-consertative majority could target other issues, such as same-sex marriage and protections for trans people, next. They also faulted the Democratic Party for letting them down.
Still, they vowed to not let up in holding rallies and speaking out.
A larger demonstration has been announced for Saturday at 1 pm at the same location.
Little Rock, Arkansas
The mood was of course much different in states where opposition to abortion access is widespread.
In Little Rock, Arkansas, fewer than a dozen anti-abortion protesters, along with about five kids, gathered on Friday afternoon outside Little Rock Family Planning Services, one of two clinics in the state that provides abortion services.
"Christ knows I'm here and that's all that matters," one of them said when a photographer asked if she could be photographed.
Three pro-choice advocates were also at the clinic, standing near clinic staff who help assist patients who seek services at the clinic.
Arkansas is one of 13 states — the others are Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming — that have passed abortion ban "trigger laws." According to these laws, once the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, removing any right to an abortion, a ban would automatically take effect.
This story has been updated.
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