For opponents of abortion, the decision by the US Supreme Court is a victory they have been waiting for for 49 years. Protesters had gathered outside the courthouse before the decision and loud cheers erupted when the news came.
– From a conservative point of view, they have welcomed this and seen it as a moral and political victory, says SVT’s foreign reporter Carl Fridh Kleberg.
Among the Republicans who welcomed the decision are, among others, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
– This is a historic victory for the constitution and for society’s most vulnerable, he says.
Democrats critical
Several leading democratic politicians quickly went out and condemned the decision. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, believes that women’s rights are at stake in this autumn’s mid-term elections.
– This cruel decision is outrageous and heartbreaking, she says.
President Joe Biden is expected to comment on the decision at a press conference on Friday.
WHO chief: “Very disappointed”
In an interview with the news agency Reuters, WHO Secretary General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says that he is disappointed with the development.
– I am very disappointed, because women’s rights must be protected. And I had expected the United States to defend such rights, says Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has also been critical.
– I think it is a big step backwards, he says at a press conference.