Two groups of abortion rights advocates took to the streets and blockaded intersections in front of the Supreme Court on Monday ahead of the historic ruling on Roe v Wade.
Video footage showed protesters carrying signs that expressed their disagreement with a leaked draft of an opinion from the high court last month, which signalled its position to overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that has provided people with the right to a safe abortion for nearly half a century.
Street closures were in effect around the Washington, DC, building where judges are expected to issue opinions on Monday and Wednesday. The court is expected to officially deliver their ruling in the abortion rights case before the term ends in June or July.
Police on bikes could be seen in social media footage standing beside the groups, and according to a spokesperson for the force, no arrests had been made as of 10am ET.
The groups could also be heard in video footage leading call-and-response chants, such as: “What do we want? Abortion rights! When do we want them? Now! If we don’t get it? Shut it down!” and “Biden! Get a back bone”.
Monday’s protest arrives at a moment in the US when the debate over a person’s right to an abortion has reached a fever pitch, which was further inflamed last month after a leaked draft authored by Justice Samuel Alito indicated the high court’s intent to overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade decision.
It also comes just a week after a late-night incident at Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s suburban Washington home, where authorities said a man armed with a gun and knife threatened to kill the justice over his disgreement with Mr Kavanaugh’s views on abortion and the recently leaked draft opinion.
