'Shut the country': Pro-choice activists march TOPLESS at Minnesota Lynx vs New York Liberty game
During WNBA's game between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx at Barclays Center, a group of topless pro-choice demonstrators stormed the floor on Tuesday, 7 June. While some of the ladies, who removed their tops and left their chests exposed, ran down to the court in the middle of the game, others held banners in support of the Roe v Wade decision.
Onlookers captured video of the Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights protestors marching to the game, some of them were coated in green paint and waving posters in support of abortion rights. Security ultimately led the women out of the building. According to the NYPD, no charges were filed. Over the weekend, Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights staged a public protest at a Mets-Dodgers baseball game in Los Angeles. The demonstrations follow news that the US Supreme Court may reverse the historic Roe v Wade abortion decision. The draught memo, which was leaked to Politico and made public last month, claims that a majority of the Supreme Court is willing to overturn the Roe v Wade decision, which legalized abortion across the country over 50 years ago.
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Since that ruling, the right to have an abortion until roughly 23 or 24 weeks has been safeguarded by the federal government under the Constitution. Filmmaker Colin Kerrigan posted the video from the staged protest, captioning it, "Protestors at Barclays being dragged past Ben Simmons at my first WNBA game was a vibe."
Protestors at Barclays being dragged past Ben Simmons at my first WNBA game was a vibe pic.twitter.com/GbOhQz4txE
— Colin Kerrigan (@colinkerrigan) June 8, 2022
Following the game, a protest group called Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights posted a photo of the protestors who had disrupted the event, along with the message, "This was the audience we wanted. We aren't protesting to change the hearts & minds of woman-hating fascists. No. We are calling on those who can stop the overturning of #RoeVWade: THE MILLIONS of ppl who support #abortionrights. YOU! No business as usual. Shut the country down!"
This was the audience we wanted. We aren't protesting to change the hearts & minds of woman-hating fascists. No. We are calling on those who can stop the overturning of #RoeVWade: THE MILLIONS of ppl who support #abortionrights. YOU! No business as usual. Shut the country down! pic.twitter.com/2HvCTfNIti
— Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights (@riseup4abortion) June 8, 2022
One sign stated, “Overturn Roe? Hell no!”, while another read, “Abortion on demand & without apology.”
One user tweeted about the standing ovation protestors received during the game, "WTF to, HELL YEAHHHHH!! standing ovation for the protesters at barclays tonight!! read the fine print ppl."
We have the right to free agency over our bodies. This protest was shocking af 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 https://t.co/Iz7KfHj4Km
— Arielle (Ari) Chambers (@ariivory) June 8, 2022
This is one of several demonstrations by activists at athletic events in recent months. Last week, a climate-change activist attached themself to the net during a French Open semifinal match between Casper Ruud and Marin Cilic, sporting a jersey that read, "We have 1028 days left."
Previously, at a Minnesota Timberwolves game, a fan glued himself to the court to protest against team owner Glen Taylor, whose egg farm murdered animals due to a bird flu outbreak.