L.A. Outraged by Supreme Court Draft to Overturn Roe v. Wade
Thousands took to the streets in front of the United States Courthouse in Downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, May 3 protesting a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that signals Roe v. Wade may be overturned.
On May 3, thousands took to the streets in front of the United States Courthouse in Downtown Los Angeles protesting a leaked draft opinion that, according to Politico, indicates the Supreme Court may be poised to overturn the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade case. The original Roe decision legalized a women’s right to an abortion nationwide, and the Guttmacher Institute found, as of May 1, 23 states have “trigger laws,” or laws that will automatically go into effect after Roe is overturned, that would restrict the legal status of abortion.
The 98-page draft, written by Justice Samuel Alito, explains the reasoning for the Court’s ruling regarding Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a pending case dealing with whether Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban violated precedent set by Roe v. Wade. Writing for the majority opinion, Alito states that both Roe and the landmark 1992 Planned Parenthood V. Casey case should be overruled, arguing that because the Constitution makes no reference to abortion, the right for an abortion is not constitutionally protected.
Dr. Briah Fischer, M.D., an OB-GYN in Los Angeles, came to Tuesday’s rally as someone who regularly provides abortions to her patients. Some women come to Dr. Fischer for an abortion because it is “medically indicted,” meaning the pregnancy is a threat to the woman’s life. Others seek abortion simply because they are pregnant at the wrong time. Dr. Fischer views both reasons as equal explanations for seeking reproductive healthcare.
“For me as a medical professional, restricting my ability to provide that care for patients not only is directly in conflict with what I believe is to be as a human right, which is reproductive rights and reproductive justice,” she said. “But it also restricts me as a healthcare professional in my ability to do the job that I came to do, which is serve my community.”
To some who showed up to protest Roe’s overturning, abortion access is an issue they feel passionate about because of personal experience. “I’m a rape survivor myself,” said Jane Raagas, a college student from Long Beach, Calif. who attended the May 3 rally in Downtown Los Angeles. “I have friends who are survivors themselves, and they had to go through abortion.”
Some attendees, like Chinese-American immigrant Cara Xu, simply attended the rally to show support for what they see as a human right. “If they don’t want the children, they will not give the children enough love,” she said.
Eden Carriedo, who had an abortion before choosing to carry her daughter to full term, went to the rally because she felt that her abortion was the best decision for her to safely raise her future child. “I don’t think that’s anyone’s business but mine,” she said.
Several left-wing political groups organized speakers at their own parts of the rally, such as Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights, Democratic Socialists of America, and Party for Social and Liberation (PSL). Genesis Mora, a member of PSL, shared that her organization protested the potential repeal of Roe because they believe that women are one of the most oppressed identities in America. “We understand that the only way to prevent continuous exploitation of marginalized communities, particularly women, is for socialist reorganization of society,” they said.
The protesters on Tuesday gathered in front of the United States Court House, chanting slogans such as “my body my choice” and “we won’t go back” until approximately 7:30 p.m.. Speakers at the rally informed attendees of a larger, nationwide pro-choice strike planned for Thursday, May 5. There were no counter protesters at the rally’s initial gathering spot. At about 7:30 p.m., the protesters began marching towards Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security drove alongside the marching group of protesters.
Julia Wallace, a Santa Monica College (SMC) ‘04 alum who spoke at the Tuesday rally, addressed SMC students who oppose the overturning of Roe. “To actually change things, we're going to have to power through the fear, turn it into rage and turn it into intentional organization and strategy,” she said. “That's what we should be doing, and think of yourselves, SMC students, as actors and participants in history.”
Although the anonymously leaked majority opinion draft shows plans to possibly overturn Roe, the ruling is not final. The Supreme Court has until late June or early July to release rulings for 13 pending Supreme Court cases, including the Mississippi case that challenges Roe. Protesters like Carrido and Eric Weidener, a University of California Los Angeles PhD student, hoped the thousands of Americans showing up to rally for Roe would indicate to the Supreme Court that the majority of Americans support Roe.
