Tri-State leaders react to leaked draft opinion indicating SCOTUS may overturn Roe v. Wade

From Foley Square to the Barclays Center, abortion rights advocates gathered by the thousands to share their frustration and make their voices heard. 

CBS2's Elijah Westbrook has a roundup of what they had to say.

CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis met Timothy Cardinal Dolan to get his input on the leak draft opinion about Roe v. Wade possibly being overturned.

Dolan arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Tuesday night after a trip to Poland, Slovakia and western Ukraine and was taken aback by the news as he heard it for the first time.

He said it may be too premature to comment on something that's just a leak.

"If the Supreme Court came out with a sensitivity in defense of the life of the baby in the womb, equal protection of the law, that'd be good, but I'm not sure yet, it might be too premature. You're catching me offguard," Dolan said.

"If it were to be overturned, I mean, it's something that divides the country. Any thoughts? Any message?" DeAngelis asked.

"We gotta work for unity, and we in the church have always said that it's not an either/or, it's not only the woman or the child, it's gotta be a 'both and.' We gotta take care of both, and the church has always advocated like that," Dolan said.

From Washington Square Park to Barclays Center to Foley Square, people of all ages gathered to make their point.

"It's all a matter of choice, access to choice," one protester told CBS2's Alice Gainer.

"It's still legal, though. It hasn't happened yet, so there's a reason to be inspired but there's also reason to be outraged," said Zakiyah Ansari, with the Resistance Revival Chorus.

In New York and New Jersey, and soon in Connecticut, abortions are protected under state law, but supporters here say it's about giving a voice to others who may not have access to safe abortion in other states.

Angela Fremont says she had an illegal abortion in Alabama in 1969, and she doesn't want that for anyone else.

"Took me down a dirt road in Birmingham, Alabama, and she had a shack with three dogs that had been locked up inside. There was urine on the floor," she said. "I started to hemorrhage and I became septic."

But abortion rights supporters say that could be the reality for low-income women who can't afford to travel.

"The reality is that women who can afford to have abortions, safe abortions, they will continue to do that," said C. Virginia Fields, president and CEO of the National Black Leadership Commission on Health. "Women are gonna go underground. They're gonna have abortions, poor women."

The former Manhattan borough president fears some could die or face serious health complications.

She adds, "Giving birth to children that they don't want, putting them up for adoption or throwing them in the trash cans that we have seen far too many times."

But anti-abortion supporters, like the president of the Susan B. Anthony List, praise the court, saying this would protect unborn children and honor women.

"Aborting a child in a moment of difficulty for a mom doesn't necessarily solve and in fact just builds upon the problems that she is experiencing," said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser.

Fields, meanwhile, says her group is already looking into ways to help women who may need to travel to access safe abortion.

Reaction continues to come in after a bombshell draft was leaked from the U.S. Supreme Court on abortion rights. CBS2's Dana Tyler spoke to Hofstra Law School professor James Sample about what may come next and how we got here.

An uproar of women poured into Foley Square on Tuesday, enraged abortion rights in the country are under attack, criticizing the justices for setting back women's rights.

New York Attorney General Letitia James was among those speaking, sharing her own story about getting an abortion and urging New Yorkers to turn their anger into action.

"A lot of rage, a lot of sadness, but today's about getting that out so that we can wake up tomorrow and continue the fight," one protester told CBS2's Christina Fan.

"Women deserve better, all pregnant people deserve better, kids deserve better," another protester said

For many, the Supreme Court's leanings were not surprising, but nonetheless upsetting.

Among those fighting for Roe v. Wade to be upheld was the City Council women's caucus, who rallied earlier in the day.

"We refuse to look backwards. We will not take this sitting down, lying down, but we will walk, we will march, we will run to freedom," City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said.

Abortion remains legal in the United States for now, but if the Supreme Court's decision is finalized, 26 states are poised to ban abortion, leaving more than 36 million women of reproductive age without abortion access, according to Planned Parenthood.

In New York, abortions are protected under state law, and already the local affiliate of the nonprofit has seen people from restrictive states travel here for procedures.

"It's outrageous that somebody should have to travel from Houston, Texas, to get care on Houston Street in New York City," said Gillian Dean, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York.

The draft opinion brought joy to others, many of whom have been fighting for anti-abortion laws for decades.

The president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a national anti-abortion group, praised the court for protecting unborn children and honoring women.

"Aborting a child in a moment of difficulty for a mom doesn't necessarily solve and in fact just builds upon the problems that she is experiencing," said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser.

But many New Yorkers worry if the court can overturn this landmark case, what could come next?

"They're just going backwards. It's like they're trying to tell you what you can and cannot do and I don't think that's fair," Lower East Side resident Diane Gomez said.

Again, regardless of the court's decision, abortion is protected under New York and New Jersey state law.

Connecticut's governor is also about to sign protections into law.

CBS2's Marcia Kramer examines the situation in the races for governor and Congress. Please click here.

The landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade appears to be on the verge of being overturned. In a leaked draft opinion, the high court's conservative majority appears to be set to change course. This means access to legal abortion would be decided on a state-by-state basis. CBS News Congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane has more on what may lie ahead.

City Council members lashed out against the Supreme Court in the first of many abortion rights rallies planned across the city Tuesday.

The council, led by its first women majority, is hoping to sway the high court to uphold Roe v. Wade.

"It is unacceptable that women and people will not have control of their own bodies. So, yes, we are thankful to be in New York state, but that doesn't mean that we don't have a responsibility for those who are in other states and we want to make sure that other states, people in other states, know that we are welcoming you. Abortion is health care. It is critical health care," Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said.

Abortion remains legal in the United States, for now. But if the Supreme Court's decision is finalized, 26 states are poised to ban abortion, leaving more than 36 million women of reproductive age without abortion access, according to Planned Parenthood.

In a statement, the nonprofit wrote, "Understand that Planned Parenthood and our partners have been preparing for every possible outcome in this case and are built for the fight. Planned Parenthood health centers remain open and we will continue to fight like hell to protect the right to access safe, legal abortion."

Meanwhile, anti-abortion rights activists are rejoicing across the country. Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a national pro-life group, praised the draft opinion, saying it protects unborn children and honors women.

"Aborting a child in a moment of difficulty for a mom doesn't necessarily solve and, in fact, just builds upon the problems that she is experiencing," Dannenfelser said.

Regardless of the court's decision, abortion will remain legal in New York.

In 2019, the state's Legislature passed the Reproductive Health Act, codifying the protections of Roe v. Wade into the state's constitution. 

New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan says the city is "committed to protecting abortion and reproductive health care services."

"Reproductive rights and abortion are cornerstones of public health. In New York City, we are committed to protecting abortion and reproductive health care services, and we trust pregnant people to make personal decisions about their health and their bodies," he tweeted.

Here is where abortion rights stand on the state level in our area:

• New York codified access with the Reproductive Health Act in January 2019
• New Jersey followed suit with the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act in January 2022
• Connecticut lawmakers approved their own measure last week. It now heads to Gov. Ned Lamont for signature

Stick with CBS2, CBS News New York and CBSNewYork.com for more on this developing story.

New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar released the following statement Tuesday:

"The New York State Conservative Party has been arguing for nearly 50 years that Roe v. Wade was a bad legal decision. Today's news leak — which may or may not stand — hints at a long-awaited victory for those of us who respect the rights of the unborn and who never viewed abortion as Constitutionally protected. We are hopeful that this leaked decision actually comes to pass. It would have a profound impact on how life is valued in every state in the land."

Gov. Phil Murphy spoke out about the reported draft opinion Tuesday, calling it "enraging" but "hardly surprising."

"If the Court takes this awful step, this decision will have no impact on New Jersey state law or the full right to reproductive freedom under our state law. This remains fully intact, because here in New Jersey, instead of hoping for the best, we prepared ourselves for the worst," he said. "Throughout my governorship, I have fought for a single, basic principle: this must be a decision made between a woman and her doctor, period."

New York City Council members plan to hold a press conference Tuesday in response to reports of a draft opinion to overturn the decades-old decision. 

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, the Council's Women's Caucus and women's reproductive rights advocates will speak on the Steps of City Hall, urging the court to reconsider.

The Council is currently led by its first-ever female majority. 

Gov. Phil Murphy is set to deliver remarks on the reports of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. 

Watch the address live at 11:30 a.m. on CBS News New York. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul said she refuses to let her newly born granddaughter grow up having to "fight for the rights that generations have fought for & won, rights that she should be guaranteed."

"New York will always be a place where abortion rights are protected," she later tweeted. "Just as the Statue of Liberty lifts her lamp tall in our harbor, New York will never stop fighting for what's right - unafraid and undeterred."

Gov. Phil Murphy pointed to his signing of the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act, saying, "New Jersey will not go backwards on reproductive rights. "

"I want to assure every New Jerseyan that today's news about the Supreme Court does not change access to abortion in our state," Murphy later tweeted. "Access to reproductive health care remains available to anyone who needs it in New Jersey. " 

Gov. Ned Lamont says Connecticut will continue to "protect and expand reproductive rights."

"Tonight, @LGSusanB and I say it louder and with more resolve than ever before, we will do everything in our power to defend abortion rights in Connecticut."

Mayor Eric Adams retweeted the Politico report, saying: 

"New York City knows that a woman's right to make her own health care decisions is hers and hers alone. This potential assault on their freedom by right wing extremists cannot stand. We're ready to fight like hell."