Since Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24, protests have erupted in every major city and state in the country. This decision effectively banned abortion in the 13 states that have “trigger” laws on the books — some immediately and others as soon as one month from now. Without intervention by the federal government, at least 13 other states are expected to consider banning abortion too.
In response, grassroots community and political organizations, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, sprung into action. Liberation News was on the ground across the United States reporting on this emerging mass movement fighting for women’s rights and bodily autonomy.
Washington, D.C.
Upon the release of the Supreme Court decision, tens of thousands of people descended onto Washington, D.C., to show their power and anger towards a system that allows nine unelected millionaires to take away the rights of tens of millions of people.
Local organizers with the Party for Socialism and Liberation in Washington, D.C., held an open mic forum for the people outside of the Supreme Court, allowing those who are silenced and ignored by the system to have their say. Attendees spoke about how the decision will inevitably lead to preventable deaths and the criminalization of women who naturally miscarry or do not obey these unjust laws.
New York City
On June 24, nearly 20,000 people rallied in Washington Square Park in New York City. Participating organizations included Left Voice, Socialist Alternative, NYC for Abortion Rights, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and others. After about an hour of speeches and chants, protesters flooded the streets, marching through lower Manhattan to Midtown, past Grand Central Station and finally ending at Bryant Park.
Activists at the march warned that this was only the first domino to fall in what would be a full-out assault on people’s rights.
“This attack on abortion rights is the first shot!” said Gloria La Riva of the PSL. “Judge Alito, Clarence Thomas — they’re talking about rolling back LGBTQ rights. They’re talking about banning sex between people of the same sex. They’re talking about rolling back all the gains we’ve fought for since the 60s. That means that all of us, all nationalities, all ages, all genders, all people must fight together for each other!”
Phoenix
In Phoenix, an unprecedented tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside the state capitol ready to march in defense of abortion rights. By 7:40 p.m., protesters flooded into the speaker area where the PSL and Radical Women Phoenix chanted, “Pro-life is a lie, you don’t care if women die!” and “Mujeres unidas, jamas seran vencidas!”
Speaking about the importance of the growth of this movement, Alexia Isais, a member of the PSL, addressed the roaring crowd: “I don’t know about you, but I want something permanent. I want something that in 20 years, my future children won’t have to fight for again!”
Immediately after, Phoenix police and the city cut off the power to the protest, causing organizers from Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro to start up chants immediately. Some of the crowd later moved to the capitol again, chanting, “My body, my choice!”
From the roof and windows of the capitol, police shot tear gas canisters and flash bang grenades into a peaceful crowd which included pregnant women, children and the elderly. Crowds dispersed once police began to escalate their intimidation and move in to make arrests. Later reports from Arizona legislators outrageously claimed that the crowd was “attempting an insurrection” and that by firing into the crowd law enforcement successfully put down an insurrection.
Many thousands of people took to the streets the very next night, showing this burgeoning movement will not be put down by police terror.
Chicago
On the evening of June 24 in Chicago, approximately 7,000 people came out to protest the Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Demonstrators gathered at Federal Plaza in downtown, following a call put out by a wide coalition of groups to gather the day a decision was made. After a series of speeches, the protesters took to the streets of Chicago. Marchers chanted that they would keep up the fight back for abortion rights.
Philadelphia
Over 10,000 people gathered in Philadelphia to fight back against the anti-women, anti-democratic Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The demonstration began with a rally outside city hall, where speakers from a wide range of organizations including the nurses’ union at Temple University hospital, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Democratic Socialists of America, Working Families Party and more addressed the swelling crowd.
The huge crowd responded enthusiastically to criticism of the Democratic Party for their refusal to end the filibuster and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, or use executive power to protect the right to abortion. After the close of the inspiring rally, demonstrators marched throughout downtown and were strongly supported by passersby.
Boston
Thousands gathered outside the Boston Public Library in Copley Square at 6:00 p.m. on June 24 and marched to the State House steps. The crowd grew to at least 6,000 by the end, at one point stretching down Boylston Street from Copley Square all the way to Tremont Street. The Boston branch of the PSL organized the demonstration and it was endorsed by Socialist Alternative, Planned Parenthood and several unions.
Meilyn, an educator and PSL member, spoke to the crowd from the State House steps. “Did you vote for these people? Is that a real democracy? Nine people shouldn’t have the power to deny our human rights, our right to participate as equals in society. And the people we do vote for, the Democrats, they have a majority in the House. Guess what they did for us? Nothing! That’s right. For far too long the Democrats have treated women’s rights as a bargaining chip. And we will no longer allow that to happen.”
Close to 1,000 also took to the streets again in Boston the following day. Kaleigh O’Keefe, an organizer with the Boston Liberation Center and Harvard Book Store Union member, spoke from the Massachusetts State House steps: “I heard someone say on the news last night that we’re protected here, but that right is not guaranteed. We have seen that. They have proven that.”
The protest passed by beloved Boston street performer Keytar Bear, who gave the protesters a big thumbs up without missing a beat. Outside City Hall, organizer Kimberly Barzola told the crowd, “We don’t just get power by talking about it, by tweeting about it. We have to get organized. They’re organized. The attack on our right to abortion has been a highly coordinated attack. It was not an accident, it was not a fluke. They have been working on this for decades. So we have to out-organize them!”
Atlanta
On the day of the Supreme Court decision, the Atlanta branch of the PSL organized a demonstration and march from the state capitol building, mobilizing over 4,000 outraged people into the streets.
PSL Atlanta organized two more back-to-back demonstrations the next day in the cities of Athens and Atlanta where hundreds of people took to the streets. Over the course of the two days, for many, it was their first time at a protest.
At all three demonstrations, the crowd overwhelmingly rejected the Democratic Party’s unwillingness to fight for the most basic rights of the majority. The crowd broke out in cheers every time capitalism was pointed to as the root cause and to socialism as the solution.
Seattle
On June 24 as many as 4,000 people gathered at the Federal Building in downtown Seattle at a protest called by the Puget Sound Mobilization for Reproductive Justice. While speakers denounced the Supreme Court ruling, the Car Brigade and Bicycle Brigade blocked the street, and demonstrators sat-in for 49 minutes in commemoration of the 49 years that Roe was in force.
PSL member Jas spoke to the crowd: “If these reactionaries and misogynists really cared about life, there wouldn’t be a formula shortage right now. … They would actively be working to end the disproportionate gap in postpartum mortality affecting Black women. These people are not pro life. There is so much they could do in the name of life, but today they chose death and oppression.”
After the rally, protesters marched through downtown Seattle.
Denver
On June 24, over 3,000 people in Colorado rallied at the capitol building. Members of PSL, DSA, the Working Families Party and Cobalt Abortion Fund spoke to the crowd. Speakers discussed the need for a movement, not just to secure abortion rights, but for childcare, healthcare, and a new system entirely.
The crowd was angered by the failures of the Democratic Party and all those in power and ready to mobilize as necessary. Participants marched to the federal court building where two more PSL members spoke.
“The Supreme Court has not and cannot ever bring us true justice. We do not have a justice system — we have a capitalist system,” said PSL member Moira Casados.
Austin, Texas
About 3,000 people flooded the streets near Republic Square Park, near the Austin Federal Courthouse, just hours after the Dobbs decision was announced. Protesters chanted, “Legalize abortion once and for all,” “We won’t go back, we will fight back,” and “My body my choice!” The protesters marched to the Texas State Capitol, shutting down much of downtown for the evening.
On Saturday, PSL Austin held a public forum on the struggle for democracy. Forum attendees discussed what we need to truly build people power, before joining a protest called by PSL and CPUSA at the Texas State Capitol. Once again, about 3,000 people gathered at the capitol over the next couple hours, marching on downtown.
Beto O’Rourke held a rally of about 1,000 people at Pan American Park on Sunday. PSL organizers spoke to attendees about the importance of remaining in the streets and preparing to win the fight through struggle, rather than demobilizing and waiting for November. Clearly the message of struggle resonated, as PSL organizers were able to lead hundreds of people at O’Rourke’s own rally in chants directed at the Democratic Party: “We can’t wait until November, save abortion now!” and, “You’ve got the Senate, you’ve got the House, legalize abortion now!”
Columbus, Ohio
In Columbus, nearly 3,000 people rallied on June 24 at 6 p.m. outside the Ohio Statehouse. The rally was led by PSL Columbus, Ohio Women’s Alliance, Women’s March Ohio, DSA Columbus, Heer to Serve and J.U.S.T.
In the middle of the rally, word broke that the injunction on Ohio’s heartbeat bill had been lifted, criminalizing abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. This news was relayed to the crowd which further fueled their condemnation of the police, governor, courts and legislature.
Louisville, Kentucky
Amid chants of “Pro-life is a lie! You don’t care if people die!,” approximately one thousand protesters took to the streets of Kentucky’s largest city Friday in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade to agitate for the immediate restoration of abortion rights.
The demonstration, organized by the Louisville branch of the PSL and joined by many local organizations, including Women of the Well Ministry and Black Lives Matter Louisville, culminated in a series of speakers who addressed the massive crowd from the steps of Metro Hall downtown, a symbolic seat of local executive power.
Kentucky is one of seven states suffering under a draconian anti-abortion “trigger law” passed by a reactionary state legislature in order to immediately render abortion illegal following federal nullification of Roe. A further six states with other versions of “trigger laws” are expected to enact similar anti-abortion measures in the coming weeks.
Providence, Rhode Island
On June 24 at 8:00 p.m., around 2,000 people gathered at Rhode Island State House steps. The action was called by the Womxn Project and they were joined by several abortion rights organizations and political organizations.
Cat Y of the PSL said, “We will fight back! That’s right! We are going to shut this sexist capitalist system down if we don’t get our fundamental human rights. Abortion rights are human rights. Abortion rights are about our access to healthcare and the ability to have autonomy over our bodies as women and people who give birth.”
San Diego
On June 24, over 1,000 people took to the streets in downtown San Diego for a rally and march convened outside the Hall of Justice led by Socialist Alternative, the PSL, Communist Party USA and Sunrise Movement.
During the rally, Planned Parenthood worker and PSL member Tori Barron told the crowd that, “[Congress] didn’t pass the Women’s Health Protection Act or any abortion legislation in the 49 years since Roe v. Wade … If abortion was going to be protected, it would have already happened! We’re not getting anywhere, which is why we need to be out here on the streets!”
After the rally, the people marched through the streets of downtown San Diego chanting, “My body, my choice!” The march concluded with a speak out at Waterfront Park, which met up with participants from a vigil organized by Planned Parenthood.
Dallas
Over 1,000 gathered in Civic Garden Park in downtown Dallas Friday evening, among the first wave of protests called by organizations like PSL, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, North Texas Democratic Socialists of America and the Afiya Center, a local Black-led reproductive justice group. The crowd was energetic and took to the streets to march and chanted, “Not the church, not the state, women must decide their fate!”
Speakers urged attendees to join the fight for abortion access by getting organized. Tania Hernandez, Alliance/AFT teacher’s union member said, “Find an org that will help you learn to organize yourselves and others, find an org that won’t sit by the sidelines and wring their hands like the useless Democrats we have in power, find an org who will fight tooth and nail for full abortion access and for everything else that we need to thrive!”
Hundreds more people would gather in the streets of North Texas from Fort Worth to Denton over the weekend, meeting in city squares and in front of federal courthouses. Anti-abortion counter protests were vastly outnumbered, even in cities like Fort Worth where Republicans sit in most seats of city government.
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage PSL called an emergency response protest for June 25 that was attended by about 1,000 people and co-sponsored by Stand Up Alaska. Thunderous chants of “Can’t go back, won’t go back” rocked the air. The protest was covered by numerous local media.
Indianapolis, Indiana
On June 24, PSL Indianapolis and Indy10 Black Lives Matter called a protest on Monument Circle. Roaring with anger, a crowd of 1,000 began to gather at 5 p.m. Organizers emphasized the undemocratic nature of the Supreme Court.
The popular demand to “Abort the Court” was repeated on June 25, at a rally called by ACLU Indiana with Planned Parenthood. Thousands crowded together on the Statehouse lawn. While the official rally ended after an hour, the crowd refused to disperse to make way for an upcoming anti-choice rally, instead holding their ground for another two hours.
Cincinnati
On June 24, around 800 people rallied at the Hamilton County Courthouse in Cincinnati at 6:00 p.m. After several speeches at the County Courthouse, the protesters marched to the U.S. Courthouse in Cincinnati. There, several more activists spoke and led the crowd in chants.
PSL member Kaitlynn McNutt said that the Supreme Court and the Democratic Party are not on our side, and they never have been. After these speeches, the protesters chanted and marched back to the Hamilton County Courthouse. The action was organized by the PSL, Cincinnati Socialists, DSA and the University of Cincinnati.
Milwaukee
On the evening of June 24, nearly 1,000 people marched in Milwaukee. Speakers denounced the Supreme Court as an enemy of the people, attacking on the rights of women, LGBTQ people and immigrants.
PSL Milwaukee member Hayden Harwood said, “We are the ones who keep the clinics open. We are the ones who schedule procedures. We are the ones who do procedures. Not the tools in the court. Not the legislator. Not the useless president.”
By overturning Roe, this decision triggered Wisconsin’s 1849 ban, thus outlawing abortion throughout the state. There is a growing movement for reproductive justice in Milwaukee that is clearly ready to fight back!
Detroit
About 1,000 people from around Detroit descended on downtown at the federal courthouse where they rallied and marched in anger and determination. Led by people with disabilities and a medic vehicle, the thunderous march took the downtown streets, winding through Greektown and into the intersection of East Jefferson and Randolph. Protesters shut down traffic for a half-hour at the entrance to the U.S.-Canada Tunnel. The action was called by the Michigan Coalition for Reproductive Liberation.
Salt Lake City
Red Hive Collective held an emergency demonstration on the evening of Roe being overturned, at Washington Square Park at 6 p.m. Over 1,000 attended which led to a mobilization up to the Utah State Capitol and joined up with a Planned Parenthood rally at 7 p.m., totaling over 3,000 in attendance.
Deja Gaston an organizer with the Salt Lake City Party PSL said, ”What really we need to do is not fall into passivity, we need to be active, we have to continue to really push back and really fight back against this … Politicians from both the Republicans and Democrats are failing us in a lot of ways. And if they really wanted to do something, if they were pro-life, they would enact things that better the conditions for our class.”
Minneapolis
On June 25, PSL Minneapolis, Socialist Alternative, Movement for People’s Democracy and Communist Party USA organized an action at the Minnesota State Capitol expressing anger, a fighting spirit and calling for a new system. There were 500 enthusiastic protesters making chants such as, “Women’s rights! Trans rights! One struggle one fight!”
Portland, Oregon
Around 500 people came out to a Southeast Portland park on June 25, one of the hottest days of the year, for a brief rally and march sponsored by Portland PSL and Gabriela Portland. Speakers set the tone of the day: We will not allow the unelected Supreme Court to define our rights and our lives and we will fight back, and work to build a movement for socialism, a society in which all people are guaranteed their rights. One speaker said, “We must fight for socialism, where no court and no government will ever take away our rights.”
Albany, New York
Approximately 500 people gathered in Albany, New York, for two rallies and a vigil on June 24. Protesters gathered at 6 p.m. in front of the New York State Capitol to decry the undemocratic Supreme Court and to demand abortion justice everywhere. The Albany branch of the PSL called the action, and community members and activists across the capital region joined in.
Another rally took place in Townsend Park, a site of many Black Lives Matter rallies. The action highlighted the toll that the Dobbs decision will have on Black and Brown lives. These rallies fed into an 8 p.m. vigil at the capitol, organized by Planned Parenthood of Upper Hudson.
Heather Benno, a member of the PSL, and Arab-American mother of two young girls, spoke about the human cost of this Supreme Court decision: “When a majority of people realize that abortion is a fundamental right that affects our daily lives … this Supreme Court decision shows us yet again that we live under a dictatorship of patriarchy and white supremacy. But we are fighting back!”
San Antonio, Texas
Over 500 people gathered in San Antonio’s new Federal Courthouse to protest. The outraged but energetic crowd united around calls to continue the fight, stay in the streets and get involved with the organizations that were involved in the event.
Mujeres Marcharán, a coalition which leads the annual International Women’s Day March, put together the protest with the help of the PSL, Veterans for Peace, Bexar County Young Democrats and the Autonomous Brown Berets de San Anto.
San Antonio, located in South-Central Texas — a trigger law state — will be hundreds of miles from legal abortion services.
San Francisco
On the evening of June 24, approximately 700 people gathered at the intersection of
Powell and Market Streets in downtown San Francisco for a demonstration organized by the PSL.
The action began around 5:00 p.m. with a rally. Several speakers from the PSL, the DSA and the San Francisco Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines addressed the crowd.
Each speaker described the devastating effects that will come from the ruling,
which most deeply affects Black and Brown women, LGBTQ folks, and poor and working-class
people.
At around 6:00 p.m., the group set off with a march down Market Street towards City Hall to join forces
with the annual SF Trans March. Near Market and Van Ness, the two marches merged and
participants of each shared a moment of solidarity, cheering, dancing, and chanting,
“Reproductive and trans rights, one struggle, one fight!”
Moving as a unified body, the now combined march of thousands of people continued on and ended around 8:30 p.m. with a final rally and dance party at the intersection of Taylor and Turk in the Tenderloin, the site of the historic Compton’s Cafeteria uprising.
Springfield, Missouri
On June 24, around 400 people rallied at Park Central Square in Springfield, Missouri, at 6:30 p.m. After some initial remarks and chanting, the protesters marched to the Federal Courthouse in Springfield. There, several speakers gave speeches and led the crowd in chants.
PSL member Lucy Mayfield denounced the Supreme Court as a thoroughly undemocratic institution that has never been for the people and ought to be abolished. Seth Goodwin of PSL furthered these calls by imploring the crowd to fight for socialism, and driving home the point that only socialism can end the exploitation and oppression of the working class. After these speeches, the protesters marched back to Park Central Square, where they engaged in chants and spontaneous protests that went on until after 11 p.m.
Spokane, Washington
At 5 p.m. on June 24 a coalition of activists in Spokane, Washington, held an action. The protest was at the local federal courthouse and attended by around 400 people.
The first hour was spent chanting and listening to speakers. Following this, some people waved signs along the nearby road. The event was hosted by Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, Peace and Justice Action League, PSL Spokane, Mutual Aid Survival Squad, Spokane DSA, Spokane Community Against Racism, Spectrum Center Spokane and Greater Spokane Abortion Support.
Asheville, North Carolina
Nearly 400 people, mostly youth, answered a call to “Abort the Court,” issued by local organizers. After a brief rally, marchers took to the streets and blocked traffic on I-240 demanding, “Fund abortions, not cops!”
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
Almost 300 protesters took to the streets of Champaign-Urbana in a protest organized by the PSL. The crowd marched down major streets demanding the abolition of the Supreme Court and the legalization of abortion. Hrant Kebantsi, an organizer with the PSL said, “Every single death that will occur because of this ruling is a murder. The only court those justices belong in is one where they are the defendants!”
Tri-Cities, Washington
Over 300 people gathered at John Dam Plaza in Richland, Washington. The rally was called by the PSL in collaboration with the Tri-Cities Womxn’s March. Energy was high from beginning to end. The rally had massive support from the evening traffic.
New Hampshire
Several hundred people protested in nine different cities and towns across New Hampshire on June 24. At least 300 people were present protesting in downtown Keene at an action organized by the PSL and others.
Davis, California
In the city of Davis, located in Yolo County, California, 100 people took to the streets on Friday, June 24 to demand the basic healthcare right of abortion. Demonstrators rallied at a busy intersection at the corner of a downtown park, passing cars honked in support constantly. The demonstration was co-sponsored by Solidarity Space Davis, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Yolo Democratic Socialists of America, Yolo Grassroots Collective, Yolo Rainbow Families and Yolo People Power. Protesters marched through the downtown area to the cheers of restaurant goers. All along the march, workers came out of their homes and workplaces to cheer for the march.
Boise, Idaho
On June 24, PSL organized a march through downtown Boise, Idaho. Hundreds gathered at Boise City Hall and marched through downtown, ending on the Idaho capitol steps where a number of speakers addressed the crowd.
Idaho is a trigger state. Idaho code 18-622 will make it a felony for health care providers to perform abortions except in cases of documented incest, rape or threat to the life of the pregnant woman. The law is set to go into effect sometime in August.
Seneca Falls, New York
A crowd of about 200 people gathered to decry the fall of Roe at the birthplace of the women’s suffrage movement in Seneca Falls, New York. The emergency rally and march drew people young and old from all over the Finger Lakes region, including Geneva, Phelps, Lyons, Ithaca, Bristol, Waterloo, Penn Yan, Branchport, and more.
While there were some expressions of grief, the predominant sentiment was anger and a commitment to joining the fightback movement.
“This is the only thing that makes me feel better,” said one woman. “This is the only thing that feels like taking action.”
The event was organized by the Geneva Women’s Assembly and the Finger Lakes branch of the PSL. Police heckled the crowd as marchers defiantly took to the streets chanting, “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “Abortion is healthcare, and healthcare is a human right!”
The marchers reconvened at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park amid cheers, supportive honks from passing cars, and the hope that is generated from standing together against injustice.
Escondido, California
On Saturday, June 25, over 150 people gathered in front of Escondido City Hall for a march organized by the San Diego branch of the PSL. People held signs and chanted slogans such as, “Pro-life is a lie, you don’t care if people die!” before taking to the streets and marching through the city.
Liberation News spoke with Reverend Beth Johnson, minister at Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Vista, California, who spoke of the far-reaching dangers of the Supreme Court’s decision: “The issues are interlocking … This is going to disproportionately affect poor women, women of color, immigrants, and trans people,” Johnson said.
“This is just the beginning,” she continued, referring to the threat now on the horizon for same-sex marriages and other hard-fought gains. “We’re not going to stand for it.”
Humboldt County, California
On the morning of the decision, Humboldt County’s PSL and Peace and Freedom Party organizers woke up and got straight to work organizing an emergency action in front of the Humboldt County Superior Courthouse at 5 p.m. Planned Parenthood activists collaborated to help set up the action, and dozens of locals continuously poured in with picket signs and banners demanding “U.S. out of my uterus,” and saying, “I will not go quietly back to the 1950s.”
By the time speaking began, over 150 activists had assembled before the steps of the courthouse to demand their rights be codified at the federal level. Peace and Freedom Party member Hannah LoBue-Deshais said in her statement, “As we, working-class people, take to the streets to protect our right to access lifesaving reproductive care, we must continue to pressure the Democratic Party to stand by their supposed progressive values.”
LoBue-Deshais continued, “We must also recognize that it’s only through the power of the masses that real change happens. We won’t go back, we will fight back!”
Activists continued waving signs and chanting, “My body, my choice,” to bustling and overwhelmingly supportive traffic for hours into the evening.
Olympic Peninsula, Washington
In Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula, several emergency actions took place on June 25. In Sequim, some 50 people gathered for a Bans Off Our Bodies action in the morning. Protest organizer Rachel Ginsburg told Liberation News: “The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and I didn’t see anything happening locally, so I said, you know what, I need to channel my rage into action and just get people out here.”
At 2 p.m., roughly 100 people carrying signs, flags, and banners gathered on the steps of the Clallam County Courthouse in Port Angeles, Washington. At one point during the event, organizers led the crowd onto the adjacent street, one of the busiest roads in Port Angeles, and blocked traffic for a full minute. As the crowd stood in the road and raised their fists in resistance, the drivers that had been stopped rolled down their windows and raised their own fists in solidarity. This demonstration was organized by Sisterland Farms.
Stockton, California
An estimated 80 people showed up to Stockton City Hall on June 25 ready to voice their discontent for the Supreme Court ruling at a protest organized by the local Central Valley PSL. Fox News and KCRA showed up to interview protesters and PSL organizers.
The people chanted together, “Women’s rights are human rights!” and “Our bodies our choice!” Women who fought for the original abortion rights given under Roe v. Wade were back in the streets.
“I just want to do what I can for not only my community but communities everywhere,” Shelby Miller told Liberation News.
“We’re not gonna tolerate this, we are going to protest and do whatever it takes to fight for that freedom,” Elvia Olea said to Liberation News. The people continue to show they will not sit idly by as their rights are taken by unelected officials.
New Paltz, New York
New Paltz Women in Black held a demonstration in the blazing heat on Main Street in the center of the village. Some 60 people participated, plus members of the brass band Tin Horn Uprising.
The spirit was intense, militant and angry. Groups of young women expressed their rage at the Supreme Court and politicians who violated their rights. Many of the participants remembered the time before Roe and were furious to see their daughters’ and granddaughters’ reproductive rights taken away. Others held a banner calling for an end to white supremacy, an acknowledgment that bans on abortion will have a disproportionate effect on Black women.
Charleston, Illinois
On June 25, about 40 people gathered on the Highway in Charleston, Illinois, for an action organized by DSA, CPUSA, the PSL and others. Demonstrators stood tall in the face of a few right-wing community members who counter-protested the action.
Green Bay, Wisconsin
On June 25, dozens of people rallied and marched in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to protest the SCOTUS decision and the trigger law which immediately banned abortion in Wisconsin. PSL Green Bay member Daniel Castillo denounced the political establishment’s complete disinterest in protecting vulnerable women.
Members of the community spoke about their experiences with abortion, making it clear that this decision has had, and will continue to have, an immediate destructive effect on the lives of working-class people. The community made their voice heard and announced that this is only the beginning of a struggle which the working class and the dispossessed must and will win.
Waukegan, Illinois
In Waukegan, Illinois, over a dozen community members joined with the PSL for a demonstration at Jack Benny Plaza. Protesters took the bullhorn and shared their stories, opinions and perspectives about the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
They marched to join another gathering at City Hall and were met with cheers. The people of Waukegan are determined to fight back against this ruling and to keep Waukegan a safe place for women to access abortion across state lines.
