US: Protestors square off in DC over landmark Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday indicated they would allow states to ban abortion much earlier in pregnancy, reported AP. If the Apex Court would make any alteration in the existing law, it means to overturn the nationwide right that has existed for nearly 50 years. Before the Court could reach any conclusion, thousands of protestors gathered outside the Supreme Court and started chanting slogans. Some echoed in favour while some opposed the historic 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalised abortion throughout the United States. 

Though the final judgement would come by June next year, out of six conservative justices, three signalled for upholding a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Notably, those three who were in favour of supporting the Mississippi law were appointed by former President Donald Trump. According to AP, during the hearing of the case on Wednesday, a Trump appointee asked whether the Court would be better off withdrawing completely from the abortion issue and letting states decide.

“Why should this court be the arbiter rather than Congress, the state legislatures, state supreme courts, the people being able to resolve this?" AP cited Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked the Apex Court. "And there will be different answers in Mississippi and New York, different answers in Alabama than California."

Mississippi abortion activists protest as Justices weigh ban

In Mississippi, nearly a hundred men gathered outside the abortion clinic and appealed to women to repent of their sins and keep their pregnancies. Some of them were carried graphic posters depicting aborted fetuses. "What crime has your child committed to deserve to have its arms and its legs pulled off of its body and its head crushed in the womb?" AP reported citing Gabriel Olivier as saying over a microphone outside the clinic. "Abortion Heals" and "SCOTUS Can’t Control Our Destiny — We Do," read the placard of a protestor. Meanwhile, while speaking to AP, Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights, said abortion would soon become illegal or severely reduced in roughly half the states if the judgement of Roe and Casey are overturned.

Abortion laws in the US

It is worth mentioning that in the United States, abortion is legal throughout the country. However, limitations and accessibility vary from state to state. For decades, the law remains a "controversial" and "divisive" issue in the society, culture and politics of the United States. According to historians, various anti-abortion laws have been in force in each state since at least 1900. However, in 1976, two major political parties-- Republican and Democratic-- have different opinions on abortion laws. 
As per historians, Republicans attempted to regulate abortion access or criminalize abortion. On the other hand, Democratic Party has generally defended access to abortion and has made contraception easier to obtain.

With inputs from AP

Image: AP