USA one day after the repeal of Roe vs. Wade

() — Protesters for abortion rights expressed their anger and anguish across the country on Saturday following the seismic ruling of the US Supreme Court that eliminates the federal constitutional right to abortion.

On Friday, the Court overturned the 1973 ruling known as Roe v. Wade, sparking protests that could stretch through the weekend.

Smaller gatherings of people celebrating the ruling are also held.

As states began to ban abortion and some clinics stopped offering the procedure, abortion rights advocates took to the streets of major cities.

“It’s like seeing the train coming toward you,” said Julia Kaluta, 24, one of many abortion rights advocates gathered in New York City. “And it finally hits you. And it still hurts more than you ever thought.”

More demonstrations are expected Saturday and Sunday in cities big and small, including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, New Mexico, California and many others.

“It’s a betrayal of women…it’s a huge step backwards…it opens the door for other rights and freedoms to be threatened,” said Natasha Mitchell, 41, of Denver. “I’m lucky to live in a state that respects women’s reproductive rights, but I fear for the women who can’t.”

Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis signed a bill in Aprilcodifying the right to abortion in the state.

Police use tear gas to disperse the crowd

President Joe Biden described it as a “sad day” for America. He plans to “continue to find solutions” to guarantee the right to abortion, the White House press secretary told reporters on Saturday, Karine Jean Pierre. He declined to offer details on possible executive actions regarding abortion that the administration is considering.

In Phoenix, law enforcement used tear gas Friday night to disperse a crowd of abortion-rights supporters after they “repeatedly banged on the glass doors of the state Senate building,” Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves told .

In Eugene, Oregon, 10 people were arrested Friday night during a “Night of Rage” rally in response to the ruling, according to a Eugene police statement. Those arrested were between 18 and 29 years old, according to the statement. Nine people were charged with disorderly conduct, one of whom was also charged with resisting arrest and another with stalking, police said.

Police said protesters began gathering Friday night just before 9:30 p.m. outside a medical building in downtown Eugene. The crowd grew to more than 75 people who blocked roads and vehicles, according to police. At one point protesters were seen throwing stones or other objects and one individual also threw smoke bombs at police officers, according to the statement.

As news of the ruling broke Friday morning, abortion rights advocates and opponents also rallied outside the Supreme Court in Washington.

One man, standing amid banners that included the messages “Roe is dead” and “I am the generation after Roe,” sprayed champagne in the air on others who were celebrating.

In New York City, many protesters gathered in Washington Square Park to protest the ruling, despite New York state law will remain in force to protect the right to abortion.

Pro-abortion rights protesters outside the Supreme Court building in Washington on Friday, June 24.

There were some anti-abortion activists present, but they kept a low profile and the crew saw no clashes as they walked with the protesters. At least 20 people in the city were “arrested on pending charges” after protesters marched in protest of the decision, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).

No further details about the arrests were provided.

Mia Khatcherian, who lives in New York, said she felt guilty knowing that abortion is legal in her home state, while those living in other states will be subject to anti-abortion laws.

“I want women from other states to see the outpouring of support, that the sheer number (of protesters) sends a message,” said Khatcherian, 32, the daughter of a Filipino mother and an Armenian father. “Knowing that women of color are going to bear the brunt of this decision” made sitting at home, furious on social media, impossible, she added.

Black women accounted for the highest percentage of abortions performed by women seeking the procedure in the US in 2019, receiving 38.4% of all abortions performed, according to collected data by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They also had the highest abortion rate, 23.8 abortions per 1,000 women, the data shows. Hispanic women sought 21% of all abortions in 2019, the data shows.

Additionally, black women who are pregnant or have just given birth in the US are three to four times more odds of dying than their white counterparts, according to the CDC.

Abortion bans are already in place in at least six states: Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

And as of Saturday, 13 states have laws banning abortions in light of the ruling. Those states are Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming.

In some cases, the laws take effect immediately, while in other states they will take effect after a certain period of time or through certification by state officials.

Abortion providers have canceled dozens of appointments

Abortion providers in Arizona and Arkansas have already begun to stop abortion services.

Family Planning Associates, Planned Parenthood Arizona and Tucson Choices in Arizona have at least temporarily suspended abortion services while the legal ramifications of the ruling are evaluated, according to postings on their websites.

Dr. DeShawn Taylor, who operates Desert Star Family Planning in Phoenix, said her clinic has canceled about 20 abortion appointments that were initially scheduled for Friday through next week.

“We are committed to keeping our doors open if we can, so that we can provide abortion services, once it is safe to do so. range”.

On Friday, the Arizona State Senate Republican caucus issued a memo saying the state must immediately enforce the pre-Roe law, which bans most abortions unless the procedure is necessary to save the life of a mother.

In Arkansas, Little Rock Planned Parenthood canceled between 60 and 100 appointments for people who had abortion procedures scheduled or were in the process of being scheduled, Dr. Janet Cathey told .

“There were patients who said they were in their car and on their way and they asked us, ‘Everything will be fine, won’t it?’ And we had to tell them, ‘No, we have to follow the law,'” Cathey told .

“Most of the patients were desperate or panicked,” he added.

Cathey said the patients were given contact information for Planned Parenthood’s office in Overland Park, Kansas, adding that her office “has arranged for some to be transferred there.”

Little Rock is approximately a 7-hour drive from Overland Park. But for those patients in southern Arkansas, the travel time is closer to 10 hours, Cathey said.

“We were seeing people from Louisiana and Texas who also came to see us. Some called from Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. They will also be affected,” he added.

Leaders respond quickly to protect the right to abortion

In some states, local leaders have taken steps to protect and expand abortion rights, particularly in light of the potential influx of patients from states that ban legal abortions.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Friday that protects against any potential civil action arising out of the state for anyone who performs, assists or receives an abortion in the state. It also protects non-California residents who seek reproductive health care in the state.

In Mississippi, where an abortion ban is scheduled to take effect 10 days after its attorney general certifies the Supreme Court’s decision, the owner of the state’s last abortion clinic insisted on staying open during that period to provide services. .

Diane Derzis, who runs the Jackson Women’s Health Organization in Jackson, Mississippi, said she won’t give up and her doors are open.

“I will tell them that any patient who contacts us, we will take care of them. We will make sure to see him during those 10 days,” Derzis said at a news conference on Friday. “A woman shouldn’t have to go out of state to get medical care.”

Derzis said his team plans to open a new clinic in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where they will continue to provide services.

‘s Gregory Krieg, Virginia Langmaid, Natasha Chen, Sara Smart, Claudia Dominguez, Cheri Mossburg, Kiely Westhoff, Alta Spells, Nick Valencia, Faith Karimi and Hannah Sarisohn contributed to this report.