Protesters on both sides of the abortion rights argument demonstrated outside of the Supreme Court as the justices heard oral arguments in a Mississippi abortion case that would ban most abortions in the state after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Read more:
Early on Wednesday, activists on both sides of the abortion debate gathered in front of the court in Washington, D.C. brandishing signs and placards.
Dozens of anti-abortion activists met outside the court for a candlelight vigil on Tuesday night. Women's advocacy organization UltraViolet also organized a gathering outside the court, holding up brightly lit letters that to spell out"Abortion is freedom." The Supreme Court has never allowed states to ban abortion before viability—the point at about 24 weeks when a fetus can survive outside the womb.
But the Mississippi case comes to a court that now has a 6-3 conservative majority, prompting experts to fear a ruling will overturn or undermine the Roe decision., who had vowed during his 2016 presidential campaign to appoint justices who would oppose abortion rights.Protesters, demonstrators and activists gather in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices hear arguments in a case about a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks, on December 1, 2021 in Washington, D.C.
Reproductive rights activists have warned that restricting access to abortion will disproportionately harm Black women and other minorities.