Protests around the country in response to SCOTUS overturning Roe v. Wade
Protests have broken out across the country in response to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending the federal constitutional right to an abortion. Twenty-six states are expected to ban or severely restrict abortion rights as a result.
The first protests started in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington D.C., where demonstrators on both sides of the issue have been largely present since the leaked draft opinion of the Supreme Court's intentions to overturn the landmark case was reported by Politico in early May.
Protests have also started to form in almost every major city around the country, and they are expected to continue to grow throughout the day and into the night.
Washington, D.C.
Police in the nation’s capital are bringing in additional officers and mobilizing in anticipation of the protests growing outside the U.S. Supreme Court.
“I can’t believe it’s real,” Lauren Marlowe, 22, an anti-abortion demonstrator, said to The Washington Post. Marlowe shrieked and embraced her friends when the decision came down. “I just want to hug everyone. … We’re in a post-Roe America now.”
Tanya Matthews, a 26-year-old masters student from Charleston, South Carolina, also spoke to The Washington Post, telling them she had an abortion at 19, supports abortion rights and was dismayed by the celebratory crowd of anti-abortion activists.
“It feels like we’re at a Justin Bieber concert,” Matthews said. “They don’t understand the gravity of this decision. Just because it’s not legal doesn’t mean it isn’t going to happen.”
It was also being reported that traffic on Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, just a few miles away from the Supreme Court, was shut down in the morning due to a demonstrator who climbed to the top of a 70-foot-tall archway, displaying a flag or a banner reading: “Don’t tread on my uterus.”
Protests have also started to form in almost every major city around the country, and they are expected to continue to grow throughout the day and into the night.
Boston, Massachusetts
Thousands of protesters marched through the streets of downtown Boston Friday evening, hours after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The abortion-rights advocates blocked traffic and in some cases were sitting in intersections between Boston Common and Copley Square.
Video below: Downtown Boston protest following SCOTUS abortion
The protesters were calling for abortion rights for women and reproductive rights for people, according to sister station WCVB.
Louisville, Kentucky
An abortion rights rally is underway at the federal courthouse in downtown Louisville.
It started at 4:30 p.m. with several people gathering in opposition to Friday's Supreme Court ruling. They started marching just before 6 p.m.
Video below: Abortion rights rally outside Louisville's federal courthouse
Roe v. Wade has been in place for nearly 50 years, protecting abortion rights. Overturning it now puts abortion laws in the hands of the states.
For Kentucky, that meant an immediate ban on abortions because the state has had a "trigger law" in place since 2019. That law guaranteed that if Roe v. Wade was ever overturned, abortions would abruptly become illegal.
Madison, Wisconsin
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, dozens of people took to Capitol Square in Madison — some in celebration and others in protest.
There's one word that reporters from sister station WISN said they heard over and over again when they asked protesters why they were there: anger.
But there is a small minority who are also there celebrating the news.
Within minutes of the ruling being announced, protestor Jessica Warwick went out to buy poster board and a marker, and then went straight to the Capitol.
Video below: Protesters gather at Wisconsin's Capitol after U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade
"Right now, the only power that a lot of us have is to stop working. Don't do it. Withhold your labor. Because this is — because what's going on right now is wrong. It's wrong," Warwick said.
As the day went on, the numbers gathered on the Capitol steps grew.
"My anger was so overwhelming I felt that I needed to do something, and this was all I could do at the moment," protester Donna Volk said.
Manchester, New Hampshire
The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate Roe v. Wade and overturn the constitutional right to abortion drew strong reactions in New Hampshire from people on both sides of the issue.
Outside the state Supreme Court, a large crowd of supporters of abortion rights gathered to speak out against the decision and call for abortion to remain accessible in the Granite State.
"I think this is going to be painful and dangerous and everyone is going to suffer," said one woman at the rally, who said she remembers what it was like 50 years ago, before Roe v. Wade. "This is a big mistake, and I think there are going to be political repercussions all the way down the line."
Devon Chaffee, of the ACLU of New Hampshire, said the legal implications of the Supreme Court decision will likely be sorted out in the coming months and years. But in dozens of states across the country, pregnant people are already being faced with new challenges.
Video below: Rallies held after US Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade
In New Hampshire, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks.
"So, if people want to access an abortion, they can," Chaffee said. "If they have an appointment, they should keep it."
"We've been preparing for this moment for years," said Kayla Montgomery, of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.
Opponents of abortion rights said Friday was a day for celebration and something they have been waiting for for 49 years. Jason Hennessey, of New Hampshire Right to Life, said the decision is a cause for relief and joy.
"In New Hampshire, this has actually been a year of jubilee," he said. "We have the first protections for the unborn in years that came into effect in January, and now this, in the 49th year of Roe v. Wade, New Hampshire is now free to protect the life and liberty of all its citizens."
Some lawmakers said the decision opens the door to changes in the law, though nothing changes immediately in New Hampshire in the wake of the decision.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Hundreds of people have gathered in downtown Pittsburgh at a rally for abortion rights, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The event is being held outside the City-County Building on Grant Street.
Speakers include Mayor Ed Gainey and state Rep. Summer Lee, the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District.
People who support the Supreme Court decision are also in the crowd.
Los Angeles, California
Demonstrators in Los Angeles clogged the 110 freeway as it passed through downtown, blocking traffic. While abortion will remain legal in California, the protesters said they were showing their concern and support for women in other states.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
An abortion rights rally is underway in Lancaster.
The event that started at 6 p.m. at Musser Park is being hosted by Lancaster Stands Up, Planned Parenthood Keystone and YWCA Lancaster.
It comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ended constitutional protections for abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade.
Video below: Abortion rights rally held in Lancaster
Atlanta, Georgia
In Atlanta, several hundred people in two different demonstrations merged and gathered in front of the Capitol. Almost all the people were protesting the decision. A CNN crew saw one counterprotester where one group began its march a few miles away.
Austin, Texas
In Texas, a large crowd gathered in front of a federal courthouse in downtown Austin. People took to a microphone to tell stories, many of fear and frustration. Some carried signs, including one that said, "Pro-life is a lie, they don't care if we die."
The Department of Homeland Security intelligence branch is warning law enforcement, first responders and private sector partners nationwide Friday of potential domestic violence extremist activity in response to the Supreme Court's on abortion, .
The memo from the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis says federal and state government officials, including judges, "probably are most at risk for violence in response to the decision."
It also includes warnings about "First Amendment protected events," reproductive and "family advocacy health care facilities," and faith-based organizations being targets for violence or criminal incidents.
"Americans' freedom of speech and right to peacefully protest are fundamental Constitutional rights. Those rights do not extend to violence and other illegal activity. DHS will continue working with our partners across every level of government to share timely information and to support law enforcement efforts to keep our communities safe," a Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN in a statement.
DHS previously released a National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin warning of potential violence surrounding the Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights.
The memo notes that potential violence is expected "for weeks" following Friday's decision given that domestic violent extremists "may be mobilized to respond to changes in state laws and ballot measures" related to abortion. The assessment, DHS said in the memo, is based on an increase in violent incidents after a draft was leaked last month.
Some of those earlier incidents are cited throughout the memo, including arson attacks targeting pregnancy resource centers and incidents of vandalism threatening violence targeting "religious facilities perceived as being opposed to abortion."
The DHS intelligence arm relied on a variety of sources, including news media accounts, open source reporting and Justice Department press releases, for its assessment.
CNN contributed to this report.
