On June 24, the Supreme Court of the United States dealt a stunning blow to over half the country’s population when it overturned the right to access legal abortions, granted by the top court 49 years ago in the precedent-setting Roe v. Wade ruling. The court’s reactionary majority has denied women and all people who can bear a child equality, bodily autonomy and the right to make medical decisions.
Philadelphia, June 24
The dissent from Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan asserts the Court’s ruling means: “[F]rom the very moment of fertilization, a woman has no rights to speak of. A State can force her to bring a pregnancy to term, even at the steepest personal and familial costs.” In essence, these unelected “justices” ruled that once a woman is pregnant, she loses independence and becomes subordinate to the state. Her choices are gone.
Pushed by the Republican right, 26 states have enacted abortion bans, with 13 passing trigger bans; several went into effect when the Dobbs decision was announced. At clinics in Texas and other trigger states, desperate women were awaiting abortions when the news came down; they had to leave immediately. Many essential health centers stopped providing abortions or closed that day.
Rage at rallies
This horrific racist, sexist, classist ruling infuriated women and people of all genders across the county. Immediately, protesters amassed outside SCOTUS, while thousands more gathered in downtown Washington, D.C. Chants rang out: “We can’t go back! We will fight back!” and “Legal abortion on demand.” One group chanted “Ain’t no justice in this town!” A veteran of the earlier pro-choice struggle told everyone, “Don’t agonize! Organize!”
Tens of thousands marched in multinational, multigender, multigenerational demonstrations across the width and breadth of the U.S.— in too many places to list, from big cities to little towns.
As protesters assembled outside the state senate in Phoenix, police tear-gassed them. Ten people were arrested in a “night of rage” in Eugene, Oregon. Coat hangers mysteriously appeared at the capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin, a state with no abortion facilities. Signs in Salt Lake City, Utah, read: “We need a mass movement to protect abortion rights!”
SCOTUS’ unjust, cruel ruling will disproportionately impact Black, Brown and low-income communities. Monica Simpson, director of SisterSong, a women of color Reproductive Justice collective commented: “Rolling back abortion rights is another example of white supremacy in America that’s played out in other facets of society. This is not just about abortion. These attacks are about their desire to stay in power. But this moment has given us the opportunity to build our collective power!” (SisterSong, Facebook)
Build a fighting people’s movement!
And what is the Democratic Party leadership doing? Wringing their hands and encouraging people to vote for their candidates in November’s elections. By then, how many pregnant people will have traveled hundreds, maybe thousands of miles for safe abortions? How many will have suffered injuries or even died from botched abortions? How many victims of rape and incest, including children, will be forced to carry a pregnancy to term? How many parents living paycheck-to-paycheck will have to bear another child at great personal cost?
President Joe Biden pledged that medication abortions will be available in every state, as federal approval preempts state restrictions. But several states are banning pills as well as surgical procedures. Will the administration prevail on this? Why hasn’t Congress codified abortion rights?
Women, LGBTQ, intersex, and Two Spirit people, people of color and their allies are fed-up with Democrats’ talk and little, if any, action. Many activists are asking what these politicians are doing to help. They know voting won’t stop the far-right misogynists who are hell-bent on obtaining a national abortion ban and eradicating other hard-won rights.
Many women are realizing what their sisters knew 50 years ago: Militant struggle is needed. Many have learned lessons from the Black Lives Matter movement and are now learning from workers’ unionization campaigns.
Political consciousness is growing. Many activists now recognize that it’s the capitalist system that is obstructing their rights — and that they can’t rely on the government to protect them. To win, they must mount a strong, unified, independent fighting movement with all oppressed peoples, workers, those of all genders and all progressive forces.
Highlights from June 24-26 protests