Abortion rights supporters fill the streets of cities nationwide following Friday bombshell

Monday, June 27, 2022
Abortion rights demonstrations held across U.S. this weekend
Abortion rights demonstrations were held across the United States this weekend. Lucy Yang has more.

WASHINGTON -- People massed in front of the Supreme Court for a second straight day - venting their anger at Friday's bombshell from the heavily fortified temple of American law.

"Sam Alito is from New Jersey, he wrote this opinion - he's a radical extremist who's out of touch with 90 percent of this country, and I think it's to mock him a little bit, but also to make the point of how dangerous he is for the country," said Mark Greenbaum of South Orange, New Jersey.

The first of two opinions upheld restrictive abortion law in Mississippi. The second went even further, overturning Roe v Wade - which fifty years ago clarified abortion as a constitutional right.

Hundreds of people held demonstrations across the New York area. In Union Square, about 300 people denounced the decision.

Governor Kathy Hochul says New York will continue to serve as a safe harbor for those who want an abortion.

Hundreds of abortion rights protesters held a demonstration in Union Square on Saturday. Chantee Lans has more.

Now, each state can devise its own abortion law - 13 of them have already passed so-called 'trigger laws,' designed to take effect if this day ever came. Of them, seven activated their trigger laws in the past 24 hours.

"Oklahoma is the most pro-life state in the nation, and we hope other states follow our lead" said Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor.

"I don't want to live in a country where in one state I'm free and in another state I'm being held hostage. That's unacceptable, and every American should believe that," said Planned Parenthood Federation President Alexis McGill Johnson.

In Jackson, Mississippi, the abortion clinic at the center of Friday's ruling was still open - but it won't be for long.

"These people have given their time and energy selflessly for all these years to do this, and now we're going to say goodbye very soon," said abortion clinic worker, Dorenda Hancock.