Stronger countermeasures were demanded from President Joe Biden after the Supreme Court’s controversial abortion decision.
About a thousand people demonstrated in Washington in favor of preserving the right to abortion on Saturday evening Finnish time.
Hundreds of them risked being arrested by sitting in front of the White House for about an hour, in violation of public order laws. Several protesters tied scarves to the fence of the White House, and some tied their own hands to the fence with scarves.
Above all, the protesters demand tougher measures from the president From Joe Biden. In late June, the US Supreme Court overturned the universal right to abortion, which has already led to abortion bans in many states.
The protesters want to declare a national emergency
Biden has said he will defend abortion rights and appealed to Congress to secure universal abortion rights. However, with the current balance of power in Congress, the Supreme Court’s decision is not being challenged.
Protesters want Biden to go further and declare a national and public health emergency. According to them, it would enable stronger measures and the granting of additional funding to support women who need and want an abortion, says ABC News (switch to another service).
Saturday’s demonstration was organized by the NGO Women’s March, which promotes women’s rights. After the inauguration of President Donald Trump in 2017, the same organization’s Women’s March in Washington was attended by millions of people.
According to the organization, the purpose of Saturday’s demonstration was a small targeted protest, in which the participants were prepared to be arrested. However, the police did not intervene in the demonstration, which ended peacefully after a few hours.