US gears up for ‘summer of rage’ in support of abortion rights

NEW YORK: Thousands of activists were gearing up to take to US streets later on Saturday in a national day of action calling for safe and legal access to abortion.

The planned nationwide demonstrations are a response to leaked draft opinion showing the United States Supreme Court’s conservative majority is considering overturning Roe v. Wade, a landmark 1973 ruling guaranteeing abortion access nationwide.

“We’re done with attacks on abortion. We’re marching TODAY to make our voices loud and clear,” read a tweet from the Women’s March, one of the groups behind the Bans Off Our Bodies protests.

Protesters are expected in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Austin and Chicago, as well as at hundreds of smaller events across the country.

“This Saturday, our elected leaders hear us, Supreme Court justices hear us, companies who’ve funded anti-abortion interests hear us,” said Sonja Spoo, director of reproductive rights campaigns at the advocacy organization Ultraviolet, in a statement to AFP.

“We will be prepared to meet the moment, whether that’s rallying in the streets, petitioning state officials - whatever it takes.”

A march in New York was slated to begin at noon local time in Brooklyn with plans to march across the bridge to Manhattan’s Foley Square, while thousands more people are expected to begin demonstrating in Washington at 2:00pm and descend on the Supreme Court building.

The leak of the draft opinion has ignited fury over the potential rollback of abortion rights ahead of November’s key midterm elections, when control of both congressional chambers are at stake.