Abortion rights activists in US kick off 'summer of rage'
Thousands of abortion rights supporters rallied in Washington, DC on Saturday, to kick off nationwide protests in what organisers said would be "a summer of rage" if the US Supreme Court overturns the Roe v Wade case that legalised abortion nationwide.
"Today is day one of an uprising to protect abortion rights. It is day one of our feminist future. And it is day one of a summer of rage where we will be ungovernable, ungovernable," said Rachel Carmona, president of Women's March, told protesters at the Washington Monument before they marched to the US Supreme Court.
The demonstration, organised by Planned Parenthood, Women's March and other abortion-rights group, are in response to the May 2 leak of a draft opinion showing the court's conservative majority ready to reverse the 1973 landmark decision that established a federal constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.
The court's final ruling, which could give states the power to ban abortion, is expected in June. About half of US states could ban or severely restrict abortion soon after a ruling vacating Roe.