Protests Erupt Across the Nation Ahead of Expected 'Roe v. Wade' Reversal by Supreme Court

Protestors across the nation are rallying together against a reversal of Roe v. Wade expected to be ruled by the Supreme Court.

On May 2, Politico leaked a draft opinion of a new Supreme Court ruling set to overturn the landmark 1973 case, which established the right to abortion. According to Politico, they obtained a "majority draft opinion" of the decision.

From Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., hundreds of thousands of pro-choice activists swiftly mobilized to protest the ruling on Saturday, gathering at statehouses across the country under cries like "Bans Off Our Bodies."

In New York, the Brooklyn Bridge remained shut down nearly all day as protestors engaged in a march supporting reproductive rights. Downtown Los Angeles was similarly backed up for most of the day.

Allegedly written by Justice Samuel Alito, the leaked opinion called Roe "egregiously wrong from the start," and concluded: "we [the Supreme Court majority] hold that Roe and Casey [another ruling on the right to abortion from 1992 which upheld the previous court decision] must be overruled."

In Los Angeles, legendary women's rights lawyer Gloria Allred, who has represented women against Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and more, told a harrowing story about an abortion she nearly died from. Allred said she had become pregnant from a rape at gunpoint.

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"I was left in a bathtub in a pool of my own blood, hemorrhaging," Allred shared. "A nurse said to me: I hope this teaches you a lesson. It did reach me a lesson, but not the one she wanted. Abortion must be safe, it must be legal, it must be affordable, it must be available."

Celebrities like Amber Tamblyn, Constance Wu, Padma Lakshmi, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Marisa Tomei, Laura Dern, Milla Jovovich, and Cyndi Lauper were also spotted using their voices for women's rights at protests across America.

In D.C., pro-choice protestors were also met by a counterprotest of pro-life activists. The groups were primarily kept separated by police, according to ABC7 News.

Some protestors even moved to gather at conservative Supreme Court Justices (and Donald Trump administration appointees) Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh's respective homes. Some even wore Handmaid's Tale-inspired costumes while outside of Coney Barrett's home.

According to Politico, Kavanaugh, Coney Barrett, Justice Clarence Thomas, and Justice Neil Gorsuch joined Alito's opinion in overturning Roe.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama applauded protestors on her Twitter, urging followers: "We don't have to stand idly by while others try to turn back the clock on progress."

"I'm so inspired by everyone out marching today," Obama shared. "And I know that we're going to see so many folks carrying this energy forward to the elections in November and in every election after that."

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have also been open about their support for Roe, with Biden even sharing he would sign a bill protecting the right to abortion across the country.

Earlier this week, over 150 celebrities including Ariana Grande, Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and more signed on to a "Bans Off Our Bodies" ad supporting Roe.

"Our power to plan our own futures and control our own bodies depends on our ability to access sexual and reproductive healthcare, including abortion," the message read.