50,000 people expected to attend "Bans off our Bodies" rally in downtown LA
Demonstrators facing down a Supreme Court decision that could overturn the constitutional right to abortion planned rallies from coast to coast Saturday to express their outrage – and to mobilize for the fight ahead.
More than 380 events were set from Maine to Hawaii, with the largest gatherings expected in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and other big cities, organizers said.
Tens of thousands of people were expected at the "Bans off our Bodies" events, providing an outlet for anger and frustration for abortion rights activists after a leaked draft Supreme Court ruling suggested Roe v. Wade will be overturned. The rally in downtown Los Angeles was expected to draw 50,000 attendees and got underway at 10 a.m. Other rallies were expected throughout the Southland on Saturday.
Polls show that most Americans want to preserve access to abortion — at least in the earlier stages of pregnancy — but the Supreme Court appeared to be poised to let the states have the final say.
If that happens, roughly half of states, mostly in the South and Midwest, are expected to quickly ban abortion.
The upcoming ruling stands to energize voters, potentially shaping the upcoming midterm elections.
Saturday's rallies were being held three days after the Senate failed to muster enough votes to codify Roe v. Wade. Sponsors included the Women's March, Move On, Planned Parenthood, UltraViolet, MoveOn, SEIU and other organizations.
