Thousands protest in New York for abortion rights

On Tuesday, major rallies were held across New York in support of abortion rights following the release of a draft of the US Supreme Court's stunning ruling to strike down the constitutional right to abortion. If passed, states will be able to ban abortions. NBC New York.

A large-scale protest began in Manhattan's Foley Square around 5 p.m. and soon grew to thousands of participants. Because of this, the police had to close the nearby streets to traffic. The crowd grew as speakers such as New York Attorney General Letitia James addressed people angry at the leaked decision.

There are far more supporters of abortion than those who supported the project to ban them.

James told her personal story in front of a huge crowd. “I was just elected, and I was faced with the decision to have an abortion or not. And I decided to have an abortion,” she said. “I proudly did it, and I don’t apologize to anyone.”

Earlier in the day, politicians and protesters donned pink and vowed to fight back.

“I am outraged that any man is trying to tell me or my sisters in the United States of America what we can do with our bodies,” said New York Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “If the judiciary does not stand up for the reproductive health of women in this country, the legislature must intervene.”

Another protest was held in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. There were also rallies elsewhere in New Jersey and Connecticut throughout the day. The same can be said for Washington, D.C., where rallies have at times been the subject of controversy between opposing sides. Evening rallies continued until late at night, there was even a midnight rally on the steps of the Supreme Court building.

Some, such as Mari Tasi of New Jersey's local anti-abortion rights group Right to Life, welcomed the decision and hoped it would soon become law. “Many people are praying that this will be the final decision,” Tasi said.

In Albany, state leaders were firmly on the last line of defense of abortion rights.

“You don't want to mess with us, you don't want to mess with New York State. I assure you, this is a fight you will not win,” said Katy Hochul.

The Democratic governor's colleague Phil Murphy also remained adamant in defending the right of the individual to choose. “That remains unchanged because here in New Jersey, instead of hoping for the best, we prepared for the worst,” he said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis said in a statement, "I think it's important to wait for the court to complete its work, because everything else undermines the deliberative process of judges."

Some states, including New York, have already passed laws legalizing abortion.

And these laws can remain in force regardless of the decision of the court. However, New Yorkers, outraged by the leak, want their voices to be heard. Hillary Clinton tweeted an image detailing the planned Foley Square protest, urging everyone in the area at the time to attend the "Put Your Anger Into Action" event.

In the coming days, more protests and rallies are planned across all three states for both sides of the debate. Another major event will take place on May 14 at Union Square in Manhattan.

The U.S. Supreme Court released a statement confirming the authenticity of the draft law on Tuesday.

Chief Justice John Roberts said he ordered a bailiff to conduct a full investigation into his source.

“The staff of the Court have an exemplary and important tradition of maintaining the confidentiality of the litigation and maintaining the trust of the Court,” Roberts continued. “This was an exceptional and flagrant breach of that trust, which is an affront to the Court and the community of public servants who work here. I instructed the bailiff to start an investigation into the source of the leak.”

On the subject: New York wants to create a fund to pay for abortions for women from other states

Assuming the draft is real, it has still not been officially published and is not yet the law of the land.

In 2019, the pro-reproductive rights New York legislature passed the Reproductive Health Act, enshrining Roe v. Wade's protection in the state constitution. The RHA retains abortion rights in New York despite federal or judicial efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade. Planned Parenthood of Greater New York confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday, condemning the report that the draft conclusion was leaked.

“Let's be clear: abortion is still legal,” she added. To this day, it remains your constitutional right. And thanks to reproductive rights advocates in New York, abortion will remain safe and legal in this great state, no matter what happens in the Supreme Court. Abortion is medical care.”