Protests erupt outside of Supreme Court following vote to overturn Roe v. Wade

Tears were shed, signs were raised and cries of anger and anguish echoed outside the Supreme Court on Friday after its conservative majority voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively erasing a reproductive right that has been in place for almost 50 years.

“I will aid and abet abortion,” one sign proclaimed.

“I am a woman, not a womb,” another read.

Abortion-rights protesters regroup and protest following Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, federally protected right to abortion, in Washington on Friday. (Gemunu Amarasinghe/)

Activists, pro-choice organizations and liberal politicians came together in Washington, D.C., to decry the 6-3 decision, all of them condemning the reversal on Roe as a huge step backward for women and reproductive rights.

“The Supreme Court has now officially given politicians permission to control what we do with our bodies, deciding that we can no longer be trusted to determine the course for our own lives,” Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Alexis McGill Johnson said in a statement.

“But make no mistake — we are a movement that will demand we are treated like equal citizens.”

Abortion-rights activist Julianne D’Eredita, 21, of Austin, Texas, speaks following Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/)

And the movement showed up in full force following the controversial ruling, with crowds gathered outside the Supreme Court, also chanting phrases like “My body, my choice” and “We won’t go back!” They were joined by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who encouraged them to keep fighting for their rights in the weeks, months and even years to come.

“This is not something that’s going to be solved in a day or in an election, or in a year, because we got to strap in,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “This is a generational fight.

Pro-life demonstrators also descended on Friday to celebrate the decision they had fought for years to achieve. It is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states. Some sprayed champagne while others broke out in cheers, praising Supreme Court justices for their vote to strike down the landmark 1973 ruling that established an American’s constitutional right to abortion.

An abortion-rights protester, and an anti-abortion protester face off ahead of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in Washington on Friday. (Gemunu Amarasinghe/)

The decision will now allow for individual states to implement their own abortion laws without regard for Roe, which had permitted abortions during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. It comes just more than a month after a draft opinion penned by Justice Samuel Alito sent shock waves across the country, galvanizing both anti-abortion protesters and pro-choice demonstrators alike.

In the final opinion, which was handed down around 10 a.m. Friday, Alito wrote that Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 decision that reaffirmed the right to abortion, were wrong.

“We therefore hold that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Roe and Casey must be overruled, and the authority to regulate abortion must be returned to the people and their elected representatives,” he wrote.

With tensions long brewing amid the rival groups, the Metropolitan Police Department in a statement said it would “be fully activated to support expected First Amendment demonstrations,” adding “all members should be prepared to work extended tours as necessary” through Tuesday, June 28.

The Capitol Police, which protects the Capitol building across from the Supreme Court, said it was coordinating its response with local law enforcement.

“Demonstrators are gathering on Capitol grounds, near the U.S. Supreme Court,” police said in a statement. “Protesters are allowed to peacefully demonstrate, however they must follow officers’ instructions so that everyone stays safe.”

With News Wire Services