Right-wing protesters attempted to disrupt the Women’s March in Washington DC on Saturday.
The counter-demonstrations by a small group of anti-abortion activists briefly caused tempers to flare, but their chants were drowned out by the several thousand people who turned out to demand reproductive rights, The Daily Beast reported.
Demonstraters marched from Folger Park to the grounds of the US Capitol carrying placards and chanting “abortion rights are human rights” as part of a Women’s Wave day of action.
Women’s March executive director Rachel O’Leary told the Washington Post the movement had been energised by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade in June, and were determined to voice their anger ahead of November’s midterms.
“It’s the first election since Roe has fallen in this new era of American democracy, and it’s really important that women turn out as a voting bloc,” Women’s March executive director Ms O’Leary told the Washington Post.
Organisers had been expecting 2,000 people to turn up, and the Post estimated that there were “easily that many people” by early afternoon.
Among the counter-protesters was a man wearing a t-shirt with a swastika, another in a red MAGA cap, and members of the youth anti-abortion group Students for Life, The Daily Beast reported.
One woman was arrested for attempting to block the protesters, the Post reported.
Addressing the crowd at the US Capitol, actress Lea Delaria said “women have a lot of rage right now”.
“We are going to make them listen to us,” she told the crowd, according to the Post.
Further marches are planned in San Antonio and Austin on Sunday in support of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke.
