The reversal of a long-standing precedent has also raised fears for other rights decided upon by the Supreme Court in the past. Some protesters gathered outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. (Photo by= Reuters) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] Clinics have begun closing in some US states after a Supreme Court ruling on Friday removed American women's constitutional right to abortion, BBC reported. About half of the states are expected to introduce new restrictions or bans after the court reversed its 50-year-old Roe v Wade decision.
And 13 states have so-called trigger laws in place that will see abortion banned within 30 days. President Joe Biden described the ruling as "a tragic error". In Phoenix, Arizona, police fired tear gas after pro-choice protesters banged on the doors and windows of the state capitol. In Los Angeles, protesters briefly blocked traffic on a highway. Protests are expected to continue in cities around the country on Saturday. Overall, the Supreme Court ruling is expected to mean about 36 million women of reproductive age will lose access to abortion in their states, according to research from Planned Parenthood, a healthcare organization that provides abortions.
The decision was met with elation by anti-abortion campaigners outside the court in Washington, but protests against the ruling were scheduled in more than 100 cities on Friday - with more expected through the weekend. Although abortion is a divisive issue in the US, a recent Pew survey found that 61% of adults say abortion should be legal while 37% say it should be illegal all or most of the time.