Protestors rage in NYC after SCOTUS overturns Roe v Wade, AG Letitia James calls decision 'radical'
The Supreme Court of the United States overruled the infamous Roe v Wade landmark on Friday, June 24, in a 6-3 decision. This allows individual states to make their own abortion laws, be it protecting or banning abortion. This controversial decision has upset a lot of people, celebrities, and politicians. Following this, thousands of protestors gathered in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park on Friday night to take their stand.
It was around 6 pm when the protestors converged and they were shortly joined by a group of Union Square who marched down the Fifth Avenue and joined the ongoing protest. The decision is deemed so controversial that even New York Attorney General Letitia James grabbed a bullhorn and made some hard-hitting remarks about the overruling of Roe v Wade. James said, "Every movement in this country, every revolution we’ve ever experienced in this country, has not been led by elected officials, it’s been led by all of you who are here today to demand justice."
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AG James continued, "The only way we can respond to this political decision is a political response is to vote. Vote for those women who will not have rights to abortion. Vote for all those in harm’s way today. Vote against the Supreme Court of the United States, our radical right-wing Supreme Court.” Justice Samuel Alito said about the overrule, "We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled." The justice added: "The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision."
'I fought this fight 50 years ago,' said one protestor after SCOTUS' decision
Many celebrities and politicians have slammed the Supreme Court for taking America 50 years back in terms of development. New York Post, who was present there to cover the protest, add a chance to interact with some of the protestors. Many questioned their decision of controlling abortion while gun violence is at an all-time peak according to the protestors. One such participant, Grandmother Randy Osofsky, said, "We can’t go back. I fought this fight 50 years ago and now it’s worse. You never used to have to carry your rapist’s baby, but now you will have to in places like Texas. I am still fighting for all women to have the right to an abortion, including my granddaughters. We’re not handmaidens."
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was also present at the scene had some strong thoughts about this decision. He told the New York Post, "To me, this is a horrible moment because the court no longer supports the American people,” he told the Post. “And I now fully believe this is proof positive we have to expand the Supreme Court. The people (former President) Trump named moved this court to the extreme right and out of the American mainstream." Sonia Rhodes of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, an NYU worker, scrawled a message with chalk saying, "Stop the war on women; My mother already fought for this; What’s next?; Keep your shrivelled d— off my laws; Mandatory Vasectomies; Hands off my vag; and Abort the court."
A 20-year-old student Eva Leveckis carried a sign saying, "I demand separation between vagina and state." She told the New York Post, "If the Supreme Court can overturn Roe v Wade, I’m concerned they’ll overturn protections for contraception and same-sex marriage." A day before the protest, the group NYC for Abortion Rights had announced the planned rally and said, "F–k SCOTUS, f–k the Church, f–k the state.” A second protest is currently developing in Manhattan's Union Square.
