After the Supreme Court overturned Rowe v. Wade on Friday, ruling that there was no longer a federal constitutional right to abortion, protesters and supporters of the decision gathered at the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC, and other cities across the country.
Similar demonstrations are planned across the country over the weekend, according to a CNN study. Organizations such as Planned Parenthood, Bans Off Our Bodies and Women’s March are among the groups organizing the events.
Late Friday, Arizona law enforcement used tear gas to disperse a crowd of abortion rights activists protesting in front of the Phoenix State Capitol.
“Troops deployed tear gas after a crowd of protesters repeatedly slammed the glass doors of the U.S. Senate building,” Arizona Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves told CNN.
The crowd then moved across the street to Wesley Bolin Plaza, where police used tear gas after a monument was destroyed, Graves said.
“While we were working inside, we were interrupted by the sound of a crash and the smell of tear gas,” tweeted Arizona State Representative Sarah Liguori, a Democrat from the building. She added: “The protesters cleared the Capitol.”
The demonstrations came after several abortion providers in Arizona said they had prevented abortion services as a precaution due to a lack of legal clarity on the issue, according to publications on their websites.
Arizona State Representative Justin Wilmett, a Republican, tweeted that lawmakers were working on several political points when they heard the protesters.
“As I heard, some either slammed the Senate windows or broke them, and then the DPS dropped smoke bombs to disperse the crowds. Pure chaos for a while, “tweeted Wilmett.
Protests took place in front of the Supreme Court
In the nation’s capital, a man led protesters in front of the Supreme Court chanting “Hands off! Hands off!” and calling and answering “My body! My choice!”
One woman told the CNN WJLA affiliate that the decision was outrageous.
“It’s illegal. Prohibitions on abortion are illegal,” the woman said. “Forced maternity is illegal.”
Protesters asked those present to donate to abortion advocates and buy abortion pills to distribute to others.
Opponents of abortion rights also appeared before the Supreme Court. After the decision came, a man standing among posters featuring the messages “Roo is dead” and “I am the generation after Rowe” sprayed champagne in the air above the others who were celebrating. There were several dozen opponents of abortion rights at the scene in the afternoon, but they appear to have been filtered out by the crowd by evening.
In Greenwich Village, New York, thousands of people marched and chanted in the streets. One of the chants pointed to the letter e to Judge Brett Cavanaugh. There were some anti-abortion activists at the rally, but they kept quiet and no confrontations were noticed by the CNN team walking with the protesters.
Protesters in Los Angeles blocked Highway 110 as it passed through downtown, blocking traffic. While abortions will remain legal in California, protesters said they show concern and support for women in other states.
In Atlanta, several hundred people in two different demonstrations rallied and gathered in front of the Capitol. Almost all people protested against the decision. A CNN team saw a counter-protester where a group began its march a few miles away.
In Texas, a large crowd gathered in front of the federal courthouse in downtown Austin. People got on the microphone to tell stories, a lot of fear and disappointment. Some carried signs, including one that said “Pro-life is a lie, they don’t care if we die.”
In Washington, D.C., an abortion activist climbed to the top of the Frederick Douglas Memorial Bridge, which was later closed. Guido Reichstadter posted his videos and photos on social media from the top of the bridge, where he unfurled a large green banner. Green is recognized as a symbol of the right to abortion.
Reichstadter also placed a flag on the bridge that read, “Don’t trample my uterus.”
He told CNN that while many people in the United States oppose the Supreme Court’s ruling, their support is largely passive, which he said is not enough to guarantee women access to abortion across the country.
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