Thousands Across US Protest Against Threat To Abortion Rights

The Washington Post: With Fear And Fury, Thousands Across U.S. Rally For Abortion Rights
Lisa Branscomb marched on Saturday outside the Supreme Court among scores of abortion rights protesters and tried to hold back her tears. All day she heard stories of women choosing abortion and saw others holding signs proudly declaring they had, too. She had listened to the crowd chant, “My body! My choice!” (Silverman, Swenson, Asbury and Elwood, 5/14)

The Boston Globe: ‘I Cannot Contain My Rage.’ Abortion Rights Activists Rally In Boston And Across The Country
Thousands of abortion rights activists rallied and marched through the streets of downtown Boston Saturday to protest the leaked Supreme Court draft decision that would overturn the constitutional right to abortion established nearly 50 years ago in the landmark case, Roe v. Wade. The demonstrations on Boston Common and in Copley Square coincided with nationwide demonstrations supporting abortion rights, including a protest in Washington, D.C., where thousands listened to speeches at the Washington Monument and then marched to the Supreme Court. In speeches and chants of the slogan, “Bans Off Our Bodies,” demonstrators on Boston Common expressed fury over the prospect of the Supreme Court overturning Roe. (Crimaldi and Stoico, 5/14)

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Abortion Rights Advocates Support Roe V. Wade Outside Statehouse
Organizers handed out signs reading "Bans off our bodies" and "Stand with Black women," while handmade signs in the crowd had more scathing messages, such as "If you cut off my reproductive choice, can I cut off yours?" with a hand-drawn picture of a pair of scissors, and "If I wanted the government in my uterus, I'd (expletive) a senator." "I want Mike DeWine to understand, or hopefully Nan Whaley, if she gets elected, but I want the Ohio Legislature to understand that we need access to safe abortion," said Christina Pusecker, 48, of Cedarville. "The first rally I attended was in Washington, D.C., in April 1992, when the Supreme Court was deciding the Casey case." (Hanks, 5/14)

Chicago Tribune: ‘I Hope People Get As Scared As I Am’: Thousands Gather, March In Chicago Supporting Abortion Rights 
Carly Mostar started marching for abortion rights almost 20 years ago and though she said she’ll keep showing up when needed, she finds it hard to believe that giving a woman a choice still needs to be fought for. Mostar was one of about 1,000 people representing many different communities gathered in Union Park in West Town Saturday morning under the beaming sun to support the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion. (Ahmad and Casanova, 5/14)

Kansas City Star: Hundreds Attend Abortion Rights Rally At Plaza In KC 
M’Vyonne Payne was 11 weeks pregnant when she collapsed on her bathroom floor and was rushed to a Kansas City hospital in 2018. She was bleeding internally and lost up to a liter of blood. Doctors told her she had an ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. The pregnancies are not viable and can threaten a woman’s life. Payne spoke to more than 300 people gathered Saturday at Mill Creek Park at a rally for abortion rights. “Bans Off Our Bodies” was organized by the Reale Justice Network and numerous other organizations. It was the latest protest in the Kansas City area in the weeks since Politico published a Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade. Rallies were held Saturday in several cities across the country. (Torres, 5/15)

Salt Lake Tribune: Abortion-Rights Rally Draws About 2,500 To Utah Capitol, Including Women Who Fought For Roe V. Wade Decades Ago
It’s been over 49 years since the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to abortion. But decades later, the women who fought for that ruling are still screaming to be heard. And they are fearful for what the recently leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court, which showed a a majority of the court privately voted to overturn Roe, will mean for the future of women’s rights in the U.S. “I remember when the decision was made for birth control, let alone for abortion,” said Beverly Cooper, who was 26 when Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. “And so I’ve lived in times, and I never imagined I’d be living in a time like this. Never would I have thought this would be my future.” (Miller, 5/14)

Star-Tribune: Protesters March In Support Of Abortion Rights In Wyoming
Between Veteran’s Park and the Healing Park on Conwell, a crowd filled the sidewalk. They were protesting on Saturday the recently leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion, which shows that the justices seem poised to overturn Roe v. Wade this summer. Around 200 abortion rights demonstrators — children, parents, grandparents, students and friends — clutched cardboard signs and posterboards with slogans including “I marched for this 50 years ago,” “Stop the madness” and “Whose rights will be next?” As they walked, they chanted “My body, my choice.” When they arrived at Conwell Street, they chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, the patriarchy has got to go.” (Shimizu Harris Casper, 5/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: Pro-Choice Marchers Throng S.F.’s Market Street, Demand Abortion Protections
The demonstration was the largest women’s rights-focused march in San Francisco this year, drawing an estimated 10,000 people, said Sophia Andary, co-chair and director of leadership at Women’s March San Francisco, which co-sponsored the event. Participants came from across the Bay Area and were united in their desire to shape the national conversation around reproductive health care and related issues. The right to have an abortion “shouldn’t even be any form of law in the government,” Andary told The Chronicle. “This is about women’s autonomy and (people’s) right to choose. We need people to stay engaged and march, but more importantly, we need people to go beyond that.” (Picon, 5/14)