Anti-abortion advocates took to the streets of Washington this Friday on the day of the 49th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade, which protects access to abortion in the United States. This year, the conservative-leaning Supreme Court could annul the jurisprudence that has guaranteed the right to terminate pregnancy in the country for almost half a century. Abortion advocates express concern.
Like every year for decades, anti-abortion activists demonstrated in Washington this Friday to defend the “right to life” and to mark the 49th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade.
Tens of thousands of protesters from across the country marched in frigid temperatures to the Supreme Court, often grouped in school and church groups. They carried signs that read “The future is anti-abortion” or “We are the post-Roe generation.”
Several members of the white supremacist group “Patriot Front” also attended, wearing shields and jackets with their group’s insignia and banners reading “Strong families make strong nations.”
But this year, more than any other, they had reason to believe would be the last in which Roe v. Wade will rule the country. The US Supreme Court could in the coming months authorize states to impose further restrictions on abortion rights and overturn the landmark Roe vs. Wade who protects this right.
Last year, federal courts blocked a Mississippi state law that bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The state authorities appealed to the Supreme Court, which agreed to examine the law and will have to give its decision at the end of June.
The mere fact of agreeing to examine a law that is in contradiction with the Constitution indicates that the court could be willing to review the country’s jurisdiction over abortion.
The case Roe vs. Wade, a historical precedent in danger
Roe vs. Wade is the 1973 court case in which the US Supreme Court decided that the Constitution would protect a pregnant woman’s freedom to choose an abortion until 22 or 24 weeks of pregnancy, at which point the fetus becomes viable.
Jeanne Mancini, president of the “March for Life,” the national anti-abortion group that organizes the event, said activists are hopeful that “this year brings us much closer to building the culture of life for which We’ve all marched since Roe v. Wade took hold of our nation nearly 50 years ago.”
Miriam Rohe, a 47-year-old protester, interviewed during the march said the idea of the court overturning the constitutional law was “fantastic” but also “a little scary” because it means some women will seek illegal and unsafe abortions.
The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, reaffirmed this Friday at a press conference the importance of ensuring the right to abortion.
“Tomorrow marks the 49th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade. Reproductive health care has come under extreme and unrelenting attack ever since, especially in recent months. It has been nearly 150 days since Texas women have been denied these constitutional rights,” adding, “We are deeply committed to ensuring that everyone has access to health care and we will defend it with every tool we have.
President Joe Biden assured in December that he continued to support the jurisprudence of the case. Their goal is to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act and codify this right into law.
The Turn Against Abortion in Texas
The anti-abortion movement also celebrates a Texas law strongly limiting abortion that the Supreme Court allowed to go into effect in September. This law does not allow abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, from the moment the first heartbeats can be felt, but at which point women generally do not know they are pregnant. Furthermore, it contains no exceptions for cases of incest or rape.
The law also invites any citizen to file a civil lawsuit against people who help others to have an abortion against these new clauses and offers compensation of up to $10,000 to each citizen per lawsuit won.
In the last six months, the Supreme Court has rejected the possibility of prohibiting this law three times, the last time this Thursday, when it refused to return the case to a federal judge who had blocked the legislation in the first instance and the case was left in the hands of the conservative-leaning federal appeals court in New Orleans.
“People in Texas continue to be forced to leave the state to get essential health care, if they can, or remain pregnant against their will. This is inhumane,” Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood, the largest group, said in a statement. US network of reproductive health clinics.
The Supreme Court of the United States has a conservative majority and a third of its judges were appointed by former President Donald Trump during his term. The six conservative justices decided not to act on the case, while the three progressives expressed their disagreement. “This case is a disaster for the rule of law and seriously harms women in Texas,” wrote progressive Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
American society divided
Abortion has been a divisive issue in the United States for decades. The anti-abortion, largely supported by conservatives, Catholics and evangelists, argue that life must be protected from the moment of conception. For their part, the defenders of this right insist on the need to protect the autonomy of women over their bodies and the possibility of choosing motherhood or not.
Conservative religious groups represent a major lobbying force in the United States. In the late 1970s, the Republican Party made an alliance with these religious groups to gain political support, making it the party of anti-abortion discourse.
In recent years, Republican states have attempted to make abortion access more difficult for women. In these states, abortion clinics are becoming increasingly rare. According to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights organization, 2021 saw the largest restrictions on abortion rights in the United States in decades, with 108 restrictions enacted in 19 states.
In case the court annuls Roe v. Wade, each state could choose whether to ban or allow abortion and it is estimated that half of the states would take action to restrict it, with measures such as limiting access to abortion medication by mail, for example.
With AP, AFP and EFE
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