What the #StopTheBans Protests Looked Like Across the Country
On May 21, people around the country protested six new restrictive abortion bans, taking to the streets and to social media with the hashtag #StopTheBans. The largest protest took place infront of the Supreme Court building in Washington D.C., where a number of politicians and 2020 presidential candidates (like Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg) took turns addressing the crowds, advocating for better reproductive rights.
"This is the beginning of President Trump's war on women," Gillibrand said at the D.C. rally, NPR reports. "If he wants this war, he will have this war, and he will lose."
Pro-choice supporters were emboldened after Alabama passed a bill last week (which Governor Kay Ivey signed into law) banning nearly all forms of abortion in the state with no exceptions for rape or incest. It also makes the procedure a felony for doctors, who could face up to 99 years in prison.
Alabama is one of six states that recently passed strict anti-abortion legislation. Days later, Missouri passed a bill banning the procedure at around eight weeks of pregnancy, with no exclusions for rape or incest. Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio recently passed "heartbeat laws," meanwhile Utah and Arkansas are voting on how late abortions should take place during a pregnancy, The New York Times reports.
Fueled by the wave of conservative bills challenging Roe v. Wade, which protects a woman's right to choose, protestors made their voices heard with rallies in the nation's capital and beyond. Demonstrations also bubbled up in Georgia, New York, Ohio, California, and even Alaska. Below are some highlights from the rallies across the country.
Washington, D.C.
That feeling when your outrage can’t fit on a sign. #StopTheBans pic.twitter.com/Z3jBW8dPZK
- ACLU (@ACLU) May 21, 2019
“Roe v. Wade saved my life.” Susan, age 70, just came up to me sobbing at the #StopTheBans action in front of the Supreme Court. Please LISTEN to her and Retweet to share her story! pic.twitter.com/bYKgPGxZWD
- Sara Pearl (@skenigsberg) May 21, 2019
Alaska
Thank you to our champions in Alaska for standing up for repro rights and abortion access. @RepGeranTarr @JesseKiehl @RepSaraHannan @ElviGrayJackson @IvySpohnholz @mattclaman #StopTheBans pic.twitter.com/a8vpCLlrgz
- PP Votes NW & Hawaii (@PPVNH) May 22, 2019
Juneau, Alaska says #StopTheBans @lisamurkowski #AKLeg pic.twitter.com/VNoIqZzzTH
- Jane Douglas Waters (@JaneDouglasW) May 21, 2019
Arizona
#StopTheBans! I love and admire the resilience of the Arizona activism community so so much🥰 pic.twitter.com/RLR4pQxDW3
- Aditi// Abortion is healthcare💕 (@aditinnnn) May 21, 2019
California
Let’s talk about the elephant in the womb. #DefendRoe #StopTheBans #ProChoice @IndivisibleTeam pic.twitter.com/vYpmD71v3e
- Indivisible Colusa County (@Indivisible_Col) May 21, 2019
Georgia
Illinois
Iowa
MY BODY. MY CHOICE. #StoptheBans pic.twitter.com/DAP6Wuv8us
- ACLU of Iowa (@ACLUiowa) May 21, 2019
Massachusetts
Michigan
A post shared by Ann Lewis (@ann.lew.is) on May 21, 2019 at 8:31pm PDT
Minnesota
Thousands are outside the State Capitol in Minnesota right now to say #StopTheBans! 📸 via @raymonddehn pic.twitter.com/vaslyBlCSM
- Maria Langholz (@MariaLangholz) May 21, 2019
Mississippi
Abortion Access For All. Period #StopTheBans @PPSE_Advocates pic.twitter.com/uQ1FIuSRmJ
- ACLU of Mississippi (@ACLU_MS) May 21, 2019
Missouri
My body, MY CHOICE. #StopTheBans pic.twitter.com/4Xvk30Sn2m
- NARAL Missouri (@NARALMissouri) May 21, 2019
New York
NYC’s #StopTheBans rally pic.twitter.com/Ua9G63mB0E
- Melissa Bender (@mbenderphoto) May 21, 2019
Photos: Hundreds Rally For Abortion Rights In Foley Square To #StopTheBans https://t.co/U9GRPaYBy4 pic.twitter.com/Mm7ZwJdJR1
- Gothamist (@Gothamist) May 22, 2019
North Carolina
Hundreds standing for women's rights in Raleigh, North Carolina.#StopTheBans pic.twitter.com/vRDfrhaG2v
- Red T Raccoon (@RedTRaccoon) May 21, 2019
Ohio
Cleveland! The #StopTheBans rally for Northeast Ohio is huge! pic.twitter.com/EHvfk8IPXN
- NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio (@ProChoiceOH) May 21, 2019
Oregon
Republicans are waging a war on women and girls. They are working to criminalize women’s most private, personal decisions, and we cannot allow them to advance their misogynist agenda. I will fight alongside the women of Oregon and those across the nation to #StopTheBans. pic.twitter.com/z2GoRFbObr
- Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) May 21, 2019
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Across the country, people stood up today to #StopTheBans and protect #AbortionAccess for all.
Every person, in every state, deserves the right to make our own decisions about our bodies and our lives.
Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is a right. And ACLU is standing with you. pic.twitter.com/lzlBdxCEQi- ACLU of Tennessee (@aclutn) May 21, 2019
Texas
Anti-choice legislators filed almost 40 bills this session in Texas. Bills that would infringe on our constitutionally protected rights to safe, legal, abortion care.
We are here today, loud and proud to say: abortion is healthcare and we must #StopTheBans! #TrustRespectAccess pic.twitter.com/RJIQAh0jMY- ACLU of Texas (@ACLUTx) May 21, 2019
Utah
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