On the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, about 100 people gathered outside Los Angeles City Hall on Monday, June 24, and vowed never to stop fighting for women’s reproductive rights — even as more than a dozen states have imposed bans or restrictions on abortions since the ruling.
Although abortions remain legal in Democrat-heavy California, it’s now banned at all stages of pregnancy, with limited exceptions, in 14 Republican-controlled states. It’s also banned after about the first six weeks of pregnancy in three states, before many women know that they’re pregnant.
“The reversal of (Roe v. Wade,) a landmark decision, is a stark reminder of how quickly our freedoms can be eroded,” Emiliana Guereca, president of the Women’s March Foundation, which organized Monday’s rally, said in a statement.
“We stand united and resolute, continuing to demand that every woman has the right to make decisions about her own body,” Guereca said. “Our fight is far from over, and we will persist until justice and equality prevail for all.”
During the rally outside City Hall — part of a national effort to raise awareness about reproductive rights issues — a handful of elected officials from California decried the June 24, 2022, Dobbs decision.
“This is not an anniversary that we celebrate. This is an anniversary that we activate. Because we can’t go back,” said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who represents California’s 37th Congressional district, which includes parts of L.A.
U.S. Rep Sydney Kamlager-Dove speaks during a press conference outside Los Angeles City Hall on Monday, June 24, 2024, on the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Women’s March Foundation held the event as part of a nationwide walkout for women’s reproductive rights. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
One in three women now live in a state with some form of ban or restriction on abortions, Kamlager-Dove said.
“No government should dictate the reproductive future of our daughters and our sons,” she said before leading the crowd in chanting, “We won’t go back!”
The rally featured remarks by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Jimmy Gomez.
Becerra, whose wife is an obstetrician gynecologist, said, “no doctor should have to consult with legal opinions before she renders her medical opinion.”
Sarah Bradshaw of the nonprofit Feminist Majority Foundation urged those in attendance to get involved with efforts in other states.
“I hate to use this phrase … but these are ‘sexual slaves,’” Bradshaw said of the women living in places where abortion is restricted. “If you can’t control your body, you are enslaved.”
Although those who attended the rally decried the 2022 Dobbs decision, others celebrated the anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling.
Rev. Michael F. Burbidge, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement to “celebrate” the second anniversary, calling it “a day of thanksgiving to God.”
“The reversal of Roe v. Wade brought new opportunities to protect innocent human life,” Burbidge stated. He went on to say that “each of us must rededicate ourselves to serving the cause of life.”
Whether it was the heat – about 90 degrees – or because the impact of the Dobbs ruling may not hit home for as many people in progressive places like L.A. where abortion is legal, attendees said, some who came to the rally said they were disappointed that more people hadn’t showed up.
Jennifer Vally, a resident of Valley Glen in the San Fernando Valley, took time off work to attend the event. She was just a kid in 1973 when the U.S. Supreme Court established the right to abortion care in its landmark Roe v. Wade decision. And with two daughters now – one in her 20s, the other in her 30s – Vally said it was important to keep the issue of abortion rights front and center.
“I know we’re in a very progressive state and it sometimes isn’t an issue (here), but this is about all women, and I just don’t want us to go back,” Vally said. “I have two daughters, and I am so frightened that they will not be able to get the healthcare that they need if they need it. And I believe abortion is healthcare.”
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Vally said banning abortions won’t end the procedures but will only end “safe abortion.”
Before giving birth to two daughters, Encino resident Hannah Sussman had an ectopic pregnancy in which a fertilized egg was growing in her fallopian tube, which can be life-threatening for the mother. She ended her pregnancy for medical reasons.
“I was told I could have died if I didn’t actually do it,” Sussman said. “They’re making ‘abortion’ an ugly word instead of a medical procedure.”
Throughout Monday’s rally, attendees waved signs stating, “Women’s Health = Children’s Health = Public Health” or – in an apparent nod to Cyndi Lauper’s hit song – “Girls just wanna have fun–damental rights!!!”
One man held a sign that said, “The fight over abortion has never been about babies. It has always been about control over women.”
The rally ended with attendees marching in a circle as songs like Shakira’s “Whenever, Wherever” and Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire” blasted from loudspeakers.
With reporting from the Associated Press.
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