Small Group Rallies Over Supreme Court Overturning Roe v. Wade

SAN DIEGO, CA — A group of about 150 to 200 people gathered at Waterfront Park Saturday to demonstrate against the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn 1973's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion throughout the United States.

The group dispersed at 11:25 a.m. according to the San Diego Police Department. The organizers of the rally weren't identified and no disturbances or arrests were reported.

The Party of Socialism and Liberation announced on its Facebook page that it has scheduled a protest against the court's decision at 6 p.m. Saturday at Escondido City Hall, 201 North Broadway.

On Friday night, thousands gathered at two separate rallies in downtown San Diego to protest the decision hours after it was announced.

About 1,000 people rallied at the Hall of Justice before marching through the streets of downtown. Another group of more than 1,000 gathered near Waterfront Park.

Elected leaders in San Diego County have largely condemned the ruling, which puts abortion policy at the discretion of states, many that have restricted and outlawed the procedure in recent months. Friday's opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito Jr. is similar to a draft that was leaked to Politico in May.

"We hold that Roe and (the 1992 Planned Parenthood vs.) Casey must be overruled," Alito wrote. "The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly rely -- the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment."

Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins, D-San Diego said, "I share the searing fury felt by the majority of Americans who are angry and scared for what this Supreme Court decision means -- for the lives of their daughters, granddaughters, and loved ones. For the lives of everyone who will be left without options as a result of this regressive decision. With this ruling, the Supreme Court has turned its back on safety and equality. But in California, those values remain firmly rooted. Here, pregnant individuals and their families will always be entitled to dignity, understanding, and reproductive choice."

Atkins said her prior work running a women's health clinic emphasized the need for abortion access.

"I listened to and learned from a distraught mother whose daughter died after an illegal abortion, and helped women understand all of their options when they thought they had none," she said. "We will not be shoved back into the dark days of desperate decisions. Abortion is health care and the decision to have one lies solely with the patient. California will not leave people vulnerable to the tyranny of a loud minority."

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria called it "a dark day for our nation. The Supreme Court has failed in its core duty to provide equal justice under the law. A woman's right to reproductive freedom, including abortion, has been recognized for half a century and now is being rolled back by Justices who are catering to the country's right-wing extremists. I am outraged and horrified -- but undeterred. Here in California and in San Diego, I pledge to do everything within my power to preserve reproductive freedom and the privacy rights every American should be able to enjoy."

Nathan Fletcher, chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, said, "This decision will create uncertainty where there was clarity. We must use this tremendous setback as motivation. It's time to fight forward."

County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said she was "heartbroken" about the decision. "Time for us to lend a helping hand to the hundreds of thousands of women trapped in states where our bodies are not protected, where our health and autonomy are subjugated."

County Supervisor Nora Vargas said the ruling was "disheartening," but emphasized that abortion access remains available in California. "Today, I stand in solidarity with advocates across our county and our nation, with a broken heart. The fight continues. We will continue to organize, mobilize and fight to defend our right to access safe, legal abortions. "

Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego said, "Today's decision will go down as one of the most destructive, regressive, and shameful decisions made by the Supreme Court in our nation's history. As one of the few women of reproductive age in Congress, this attempt to strip people of their bodily autonomy is personal."

Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, called it an "anti-freedom decision" that is "dangerous & regressive."

Rep. Mike Levin, D-Oceanside, called the decision "devastating. The lives of women everywhere are now at risk because of right-wing justices forced on the American people by Mitch McConnell, Trump, and their allies. The American people must now vote like your most basic rights are at stake, because they are."

Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Chula Vista, said the ruling was "fundamentally wrong and extremely disappointing, impacting millions of women across the country."

The ruling, however, was met with praise on Friday from Republicans across the county.

"Millions of Americans are celebrating today's ruling and a pro-life movement that has worked tirelessly for decades," Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. "For a half century unelected judges have dictated America's abortion laws. This historic ruling rightfully returns power to the American people to enact laws that protect unborn children and support mothers everywhere. As this debate now returns to the states and the American people, we know there is still much work ahead. Republicans will continue to advocate for life, uphold the law, and stand against an extreme Democrat Party's pro-abortion agenda."

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-San Marcos, said, "Today is a great day for the cause and the principle of life ... I will always stand for life. And I will always support and defend our Constitution."

Alito's opinion was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. concurred, but did not join the majority opinion. He said he would have upheld a Mississippi 15-week ban on abortion, but would have not overturned Roe v. Wade.

"The court's decision to overrule Roe and Casey is a serious jolt to the legal system," Roberts wrote.

Justice Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan dissented.

"Today, the court ... says that from the very moment of fertilization, a woman has no rights to speak of," their dissent read. "A state can force her to bring a pregnancy to term, even at the steepest personal and familial costs."

—City News Service