Photo credit: Jo Freeman
Roughly a hundred young women gathered outside the Supreme Court on May 6 to rally for abortion rights. This was one of several pro-choice demonstrations during the first week of May. In abortion demonstrations last fall, young women were mostly on the pro-life side. Those on the pro-choice side were largely from the older generation who remembered what life was like before Roe v. Wade. This rally was specifically called by and for young women.
The total crowd was about 95 percent white. Of the 16 speakers, about a third were non-white.
There were a few oldsters and a few men.
Half a dozen pro-lifers hung out on the edge.
Only one attempted to harangue the pro-choice crowd, and he stopped when the rally began.
The Supreme Court police put an eight-foot-high fence near the curb, pushing the rally into the street. The US Capitol police closed off two blocks of First St. NE so the rally could be held in the street.
Normally, rallies occupy the very wide sidewalk at the foot of the stairs to the Supreme Court plaza. Police stand along the top of the stairs to keep anyone from getting on the plaza. With the high metal fence, fewer cops were necessary.
Barricades were also placed across First St. NE to keep protestors from using the stone wall.
At Constitution Ave., workers were unloading Jersey barriers in preparation for next week’s demonstrations.
Jo Freeman is a feminist scholar and author.
Copyright ©2022 Jo Freeman .
