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Hundreds of activists rally outside Supreme Court for key abortion case Hundreds of activists rally outside Supreme Court for key abortion case
(about 1 hour later)
More than 1,000 people from across the nation — abortion rights supporters and opponents — gathered outside the Supreme Court Wednesday as oral arguments begin in the most significant abortion case to reach the court in decades. Even before the oral arguments began Wednesday inside the U.S. Supreme Court, crowds of abortion rights supporters and opponents from across the country gathered outside in hopes of hearing the arguments firsthand in what is considered the most significant abortion case to reach the high court in decades.
The line of people hoping to make it inside to witness the arguments firsthand began forming outside the court earlier this week. The signs on display outside the court showed the divided feelings.
Friends and abortion rights supporters Kate Banfield and Heather Hardy spent Monday night in fold-out chairs in front of the court to secure their prime spots in line — Nos. 13 and 14. “Life counts,” one read. Another said, “I am a pro-life feminist” and another read, “My body, my choice.” Yet another read, “There’s nothing pro-life about anti-choice.” And another stated, “Menopausal women nostalgic for choice.”
“I feel really strongly we all need to be doing something to try and bring change, and you can’t bring change if you just sit at home,” said Banfield, 48, a mother of three who lives in San Francisco. And there were even divisions by color. Abortion rights supporters wore purple and abortion opponents wore blue. Both sides were making speeches and at times drowned each other out.
She is also one of the many women who chose to describe her abortion in the “friends of the court” briefs for the case. “Coming felt like the right thing, and now that I’m here I know it’s the right thing.” The crowds are drawn for the Supreme Court case, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt , which challenges Texas’s stringent regulations on abortion clinics. Lawmakers argue that the restrictions, passed by the Texas legislature in 2013, protect women’s health. Abortion providers say in reality they cause clinics to close and make it unduly difficult for women to obtain abortions, a constitutional right.
Others came with no intention of going inside but to participate in the scene around the iconic white pillars, including rallies by antiabortion activists and abortion rights advocates. [Supreme Court to hear arguments on Texas abortion-clinics case]
Abortion opponents are holding a rally that will feature more than 20 speakers. Many of the speakers will touch not only on unborn children, but also what they see as the intent of the Texas legislation, said Kristina Hernandez of Students for Life of America, which is organizing the event.
“This truly is about protecting women,” she said.
The case, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt , challenges Texas’s stringent regulations on abortion clinics. Lawmakers argue that the restrictions, which were passed by the Texas legislature in 2013, protect women’s health. Abortion providers say in reality they cause clinics to close and make it unduly difficult for women to obtain abortions, a constitutional right.
In the past five years, states have passed more than 250 restrictions on abortion.In the past five years, states have passed more than 250 restrictions on abortion.
On Wednesday morning, the signs on display outside the court showed the divided feelings. Some of those who came had lined up earlier in the week, camping outside. Others had no intention of going inside but simply wanted to participate in the scene around the iconic white pillars, including the rallies by antiabortion activists and abortion rights advocates.
“Life counts,” one read. Another said “I am a pro-life feminist” and another read, “My body, my choice.” Yet another read, “There’s nothing pro-life about anti-choice.” And another stated, “Menopausal women nostalgic for choice.” Among those lined up outside the court Wednesday was Kate Londen. She rode Metro to the Supreme Court carrying five rolled up signs made at a party the night before. On them were references to the “notorious RBG” and emojis, made by students who feel invested in the first major abortion case of their generation.
Kate Londen said she rode Metro to the Supreme Court carrying five rolled up signs made at a party the night before. On them were references to the “notorious RBG” and emojis, made by students who feel invested in the first major abortion case of their generation.
“Some people like to dismiss young people because they haven’t seen back alley abortions,” said Londen, who is with Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. “But they are seeing back alley abortions make a comeback.”“Some people like to dismiss young people because they haven’t seen back alley abortions,” said Londen, who is with Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. “But they are seeing back alley abortions make a comeback.”
“When clinics close, it’s only a right in theory,” she said of abortions.“When clinics close, it’s only a right in theory,” she said of abortions.
She said her group brought in students from all over the country. They plan to tweet and stream video about the event.She said her group brought in students from all over the country. They plan to tweet and stream video about the event.
“This is a historic day,” she said. “This case is so important. It’s going to affect Texas, and it has the chance to affect the whole country.”“This is a historic day,” she said. “This case is so important. It’s going to affect Texas, and it has the chance to affect the whole country.”
Joshua Harper, a junior at Liberty University, stood in the crowd holding a blue balloon and sign that read “Protect women, protect life.” A rally was to be held by abortion opponents with more than 20 speakers, who are expected to talk not only on unborn children, but also what they see as the intent of the Texas legislation, said Kristina Hernandez of Students for Life of America, which is organizing the event.
“This truly is about protecting women,” she said.
Joshua Harper, a junior at Liberty University, also stood in the crowd holding a blue balloon and sign that read “Protect women, protect life.”
“We are here to protect women’s rights to clean standards, to safety and health,” the 18-year-old from Vienna said. “I believe it’s a common sense case. I believe it’s a common sense law.”“We are here to protect women’s rights to clean standards, to safety and health,” the 18-year-old from Vienna said. “I believe it’s a common sense case. I believe it’s a common sense law.”
“It seems a basis of common decency, not just a polarizing issue,” he said.“It seems a basis of common decency, not just a polarizing issue,” he said.
As he spoke, a woman stood inches away from him yelling “We can’t go back!”As he spoke, a woman stood inches away from him yelling “We can’t go back!”
Jessica González-Rojas, the executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, arrived from New York on Tuesday and will speak at an 8 a.m. rally for abortion rights. A group of women stood on the sidewalk in front of the Supreme Court and held up a hand-sewn quilt. On it were 300,000 stitches sewn by women from 34 states and six countries.
Artist Chi Nguyen said the goal is to fill it with 5.4 million stitches, one for each woman of reproductive age in Texas. She grew up in Vietnam until age 13 and said abortion “is not talked about at all.”
“Growing up in Vietnam, I didn’t have a lot of understanding of what it meant to have control of my body,” she said.
“We can’t go back to the time when we didn’t have abortion access,” she said.
Abortion rights supporters Kate Banfield and Heather Hardy said they spent Monday night in fold-out chairs in front of the court to secure their prime spots in line — Nos. 13 and 14.
“I feel really strongly we all need to be doing something to try and bring change, and you can’t bring change if you just sit at home,” said Banfield, 48, a mother of three who lives in San Francisco.
She is also one of the many women who chose to describe her abortion in the “friends of the court” briefs for the case. “Coming felt like the right thing, and now that I’m here I know it’s the right thing.”
Jessica González-Rojas, the executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, arrived from New York on Tuesday. She is one of the speakers at the rally for abortion rights.
“It’s critical to be here,” she said. “This case has both national implications and real implications for Latinas in Texas.”“It’s critical to be here,” she said. “This case has both national implications and real implications for Latinas in Texas.”
González-Rojas said the majority of women of reproductive age in the state are Latina.González-Rojas said the majority of women of reproductive age in the state are Latina.
[Arguments in Supreme Court abortion case pitched to audience of one][Arguments in Supreme Court abortion case pitched to audience of one]
Among the 35 people scheduled to speak in favor of abortion rights are politicians, faith leaders and women who have had abortions.Among the 35 people scheduled to speak in favor of abortion rights are politicians, faith leaders and women who have had abortions.
Marva Sadler, who traveled to Washington from San Antonio, said there was no way she was going to miss the historic moment. As director of clinical services for Whole Woman’s Health, which is the lead counsel in the case, she said she was in Texas the day the law went into effect and saw clinics close overnight.Marva Sadler, who traveled to Washington from San Antonio, said there was no way she was going to miss the historic moment. As director of clinical services for Whole Woman’s Health, which is the lead counsel in the case, she said she was in Texas the day the law went into effect and saw clinics close overnight.
“There is no way I could not see this through,” she said. “I’ve been through this entire fight and I will see it through to the end.”“There is no way I could not see this through,” she said. “I’ve been through this entire fight and I will see it through to the end.”
Dana Hedgpeth also contributed to this story.