As part of a national day of action next month, reproductive rights activists will march in St. Petersburg on the same day that the Supreme Court hears a case that could decide the fate of Roe v. Wade—a law that legally protects abortions.
“Roe v. Wade is under attack once again,” The event page for the protest reads. The activists plan to gather at the St. Petersburg Judicial Building—545 1st Ave. N— at 6 p.m. on Dec. 1 and march to speak up against a case being heard by the Supreme Court (SCOTUS).
The SCOTUS is scheduled to hear oral arguments for the Mississippi-based case “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.” Currently, a Mississippi law bans nearly all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy; on Dec. 1, SCOTUS will review the constitutionality of law. If the court allows the law to remain in effect, the decision could undermine “Roe v. Wade,” the 1973 ruling that declared that a woman has a constitutional right to end a pregnancy in the first six months of her pregnancy, when the fetus is incapable of surviving outside the womb.
The Dobbs v. Jackson review comes after the Supreme Court’s unwillingness to block SB 8, the Texas Abortion Ban, which is not a good sign for the upcoming case. Over the past year, GOP-controlled states have passed a record 106 abortion restrictions. Last year, Justice Amy Coney Barrett gained a seat on the SCOTUS, cementing a solid 6-3 conservative majority.
According to the Party For Socialism and Liberation (PSL), which is organizing the march, the SCOTUS agreement to review the Mississippi 15-week abortion ban, “unquestionably threatens nearly 50 years of Supreme Court precedent and is a test case to overturn Roe v. Wade.”
Polls on “Roe v. Wade” are mixed, but just about all of them indicate that around 70% of Americans don’t want it overturned.
“Protecting the legal right to abortion that Roe v. Wade established is crucial,” PSL wrote on the event page.
According to Time Magazine, those who work at Jackson Women’s Health Organization face terrifying conditions in the face of anti-abortion right wingers. Shannon Brewer, director of the organization shared her story.
“In her two decades there, she has seen bomb scares and stalking incidents, and protesters getting in fights with her staff,” Time wrote. “She keeps the number of an FBI contact amid a sea of sticky notes beside her desk. But this year, she says, everything feels more intense. More dangerous. More consequential.”
In defense of the clinic and women’s rights to choose, PSL and supporters will join activists across the U.S. in their protest to, “send a strong message that we will not go back in time.”
“We demand safe and legal abortion now. Join us and take part in this nationwide action to defend Roe v. Wade in Florida and all over the country,” PSL wrote.
Send anonymous news tips to cltampabay_tips@protonmail.com. Support local journalism in these crazy days. Our small but mighty team works tirelessly to bring you news on how coronavirus is affecting Tampa and surrounding areas. Please consider making a one time or monthly donation to help support our staff. Every little bit helps.
Subscribe to our newsletter and follow @cl_tampabay on Twitter.
This article appears in Nov 18-24, 2021.
