The United States Supreme Court has overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade law which legalised abortion across America. Individual states will now be allowed to ban abortion.
If you’re keen to show solidarity to our mates in the US, here’s where you can protest in Australia.
Here’s Where Roe v Wade Solidarity Protests Are Happening In Australia
Newcastle
The Central Coast’s protest is kicking off at 5.30pm on Thursday June 30 outside the Newcastle Museum.
Adelaide
Adelaide’s abortion rights solidarity protest kicks off at 5pm on Friday July 1 at Beehive Corner in Rundle Mall. Keep updated with the Facebook event page.
Brisbane
Friday July 1 at 5:30pm, meeting at King George Square. Fore more information, hit up the Facebook event page.
Rockhampton
Central Queenslanders can protest in solidarity on Saturday July 2 from 10am in Rockhampton. The rally is set to meet at the Rocky Riverfront in the morning.
Hobart
The Tassie protest is happening at 11am on Saturday July 2 in Hobart. The popular Salamanca Markets is currently the meeting point, but that may change. Keep up to date with the protest’s plan over on the Facebook event page.
Melbourne
Saturday July 2 at 12pm midday outside the State Library of Victoria. Speakers are yet to be announced, but you can find more information on the Facebook event page.
Wollongong
Saturday July 2 at 12pm midday meeting at the Crown Street Mall Ampitheatre. Register your attendance and get more information on the event page.
Canberra
Saturday July 2 at 12pm midday, meeting at Garema Place. Speakers are to be announced but you can keep updated over on the protest’s event page.
Sydney
Saturday July 2 at 1pm. Meet at the Sydney Town Hall for speakers and march in solidarity with abortion rights protesters in the United States. More information on the Facebook event page.
Perth
A second protest has been organised for Saturday July 2 at 1pm. The protest will meet in Murray St Mall on the corner of Forrest Place. Hit up the event page for more information.
Why Are People Protesting The U.S. Supreme Court?
After a 6-3 vote, the court decided the 1973 decision to introduce nationwide abortion access was incorrect. The court reasoned that the US Constitution doesn’t specifically mention abortion as per the ABC.
26 states are expected to immediately ban abortion across the south and mid-west of America. These include Texas, Ohio, Michigan, and Utah according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Abortion is now banned in at least nine states, with trigger bans in several more set to take effect in the coming days. Laws in eight states took effect on Friday after the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade. https://t.co/urnXjV1uNF pic.twitter.com/3pYUVKlmvA
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 24, 2022
If someone living in America wants to terminate a pregnancy and lives in a state where the practice becomes illegal, they will either have to travel interstate or conduct a “self-managed abortion” by using medication or other means.
American progressives such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been quick to signal their opposition to the overturning of Roe v Wade by the Supreme Court.
“The right to our own bodies and the right to form our families, this is something that belongs to all of us and it does not belong to lawmakers,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
@nowthispolitics Multiple studies have shown that mortality rates would greatly increase if access to safe and legal abortion was outlawed. Pregnancy-related death would increase by 21%, according to research from the University of Colorado Boulder. For Black women, that number would rise to 33%.
US President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also added their condemnation to the overturning of Roe V Wade.
State laws banning abortion are taking effect today – some of them so extreme that women can be punished for protecting their own health, even in cases of rape and incest.
The health and lives of millions of women are at risk. pic.twitter.com/wRGtHGgoWp
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 24, 2022
Speaker Nancy Pelosi was clearly shaken by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, telling reporters “I am personally overwhelmed by this decision.” https://t.co/caGrEGygwV pic.twitter.com/1N8PMvL5mk
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 24, 2022
The court’s Roe v Wade decision goes against the consensus of the American people, 85 per cent of whom think abortion should be legal in some or all circumstances as per Vox.
This data is supported by polling from the Pew Research Center which concluded that 61 per cent of adults believe abortion should be “legal in all or most cases”, while only 37 per cent think it should be “illegal in all or most cases”.
The movement to ban safe access to abortion was spearheaded primarily by Republicans (America’s conservative party) and religious conservatives.
Mike Pence is the former Republican Vice President to Donald Trump and a staunch supporter of the so-called “pro-life” movement.
After Roe v Wade was overturned, Pence wrote in a tweet that “Today, Life Won.”
Today, Life Won. By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court of the United States has given the American people a new beginning for life and I commend the Justices in the majority for having the courage of their convictions.
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) June 24, 2022
Planned Parenthood, America’s top abortion provider said it would continue to protest.
“We’re here with you — and we’ll never stop fighting for you,” it tweeted.
BREAKING: The Supreme Court just overturned Roe v. Wade, ending our constitutional right to abortion. We know you may be feeling a lot of things right now — hurt, anger, confusion. Whatever you feel is OK. We’re here with you — and we’ll never stop fighting for you.
— Planned Parenthood (@PPFA) June 24, 2022
