Post navigation

Prev: (05/02/22) | Next: (05/03/22)

Seattle abortion rights rallies and protests planned in response to Supreme Court leak — UPDATE: Hundreds march

(Images: @mmitgang with permission to CHS)

UPDATE 5/4/2022: A crowd estimated at more than 1,000 people gathered in Seattle’s Westlake Plaza Wednesday night for an abortion rights rally and march that filled the city’s downtown streets with hundreds calling for protection of reproductive rights in the wake of the Supreme Court leak.

 

(Images: @mmitgang with permission to CHS)

Speakers and signs called for renewed efforts to federally protect abortion rights and strengthen access in Washington state. Marches and protests are being planned to continue as the nation awaits the Supreme Court’s final decision that could overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case and protections.

Later in the night, a group of black bloc protesters gathered near Capitol Hill’s Cal Anderson Park. There were no reports of property damage and no reported arrests.

Original report: Seattle officials and community leaders have responded to the leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision on abortion rights with condemnation and planned protests.

Refuse Fascism Seattle has announced plans for a week of actions including a Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights protest starting at Capitol Hill’s Seattle Central College Plaza along Broadway on Saturday, May 14th.

District 3 City Councilmember Kshama Sawant is also calling for mass protests.

“Abortion rights were won in the first place only through defiant mass protests by ordinary women, working people,” Sawant said. “Now’s the time for socialists, the labor movement, the left to call for immediate mass protests, workplace actions against this egregious attack.”

Sawant is calling for supporters to attend a rally planned for Tuesday night in Westlake Plaza downtown starting at 6 PM.

The region’s Democratic leadership, meanwhile, are also planning a rally Tuesday in Kerry Park on Queen Anne overlooking the city. Gov. Jay Inslee, Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and Seattle Deputy Mayor Monisha Harrell are scheduled to attend along with representatives from Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates.

In the rapidly unfolding situation following the reported leak, the Supreme Court has confirmed the authenticity of the draft opinion that would overturn federal abortion rights and turn the matter over to individual states. The court’s publication of its final decision has been expected to come in the next two months.

 

PLEASE HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE!
Subscribe to CHS to help us pay writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for as little as $5 a month.

 

 
Subscribe and support CHS Contributors -- $1/$5/$10 per month

12 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
MSE
MSE
1 year ago

Those votes for Jill Stein keep coming back to bite us. Thanks so much!

Avianic
Avianic
1 year ago
Reply to  MSE

So instead of addressing how both Obama and Biden promised to codify Roe v Wade into law but haven’t, or Pelosi who keeps endorsing anti-choice politicians, you blame a tiny contingent of Stein voters to whom Clinton didn’t even try to appeal, but in fact openly screwed over? How do you not see the problem with that?

Tammy Klopfstein
Tammy Klopfstein
1 year ago
Reply to  Avianic

They tried to codify it two months ago republicans blocked it again.

DownWithIt
DownWithIt
1 year ago

I missed the part where the two democrats who have publicly said they won’t support it changed parties.

DownWithIt
DownWithIt
1 year ago

Abortion rights were won via a Supreme Court case in the 70s, and many liberal legal scholars at the time thought the reasoning was questionable.

Now the fight needs to be in state legislatures and in congress, which is where you could argue the fight should have originally been.

So rather than using this as an opportunity to just scream in rage, use the system as designed.

It’s also worth noting that while nearly 80% of Americans believe abortion should be available, 80% also believe there should be limits, whether associated with viability, counseling support, etc. In France abortion is legal up to the 14th week on demand. In Sweden it’s 18 weeks. In Norway it’s 12. So we need to decide what’s right for our country via our elected representatives now.

Kyia hamilton
Kyia hamilton
1 year ago
Reply to  DownWithIt

Where do me meet tonight in seattle

SpottedTheTroll
SpottedTheTroll
1 year ago
Reply to  Kyia hamilton

Are you asking where the pro life or pro choice rally is because DownWithIt’s comment echos the SCOTUS draft rulling

Maggie
Maggie
1 year ago
Reply to  DownWithIt

No, states should not get to decide human rights issues in this country. That’s how we wound up with Jim Crow. There’s also the issue of gerrymandering and all of the new voting rights restrictions being put in place by Republicans, which guarantees that state elected officials are not fairly representative of the state populations they serve in the first place.

DownWithIt
DownWithIt
1 year ago
Reply to  Maggie

I’m a liberal, but gerrymandering happens with both parties. Go ahead and try to run as a republican in most of the districts in the proposed new maps in New York State. What’s happened is that the states with unified party control have simply had that party play the game as it’s been done elsewhere.

You might agree with the outcome in NY or as we’re trending here in WA, but don’t believe it’s not done by both sides.

Maggie
Maggie
1 year ago
Reply to  DownWithIt

I never said it didn’t. I simply pointed out that state elections are not representative of the state’s population due to gerrymandering. Both parties use it and it’s insane to me that the courts allow it.

Fairly Obvious
Fairly Obvious
1 year ago
Reply to  DownWithIt

I’m a liberal, but gerrymandering happens with both parties.

Florida just passed a gerrymandered election map that should be criminal. Despite a 52%-48% voter split in the 2020 election, their representatives are expected to be 20-8.

But we were so focused on his subversion of free speech and tussle with Disney, nobody noticed. Sure both parties do it to some degree, though not universally, but one party has perfected it.

Alicia
Alicia
1 year ago

Jay’s thing is at 2:30 pm fyi, there is also an even in Olympia Wa at the state court house