October 3, 2021—Tens of thousands turned out on October 2 in more than 600 cities and towns across the United States to defend a woman’s right to choose abortion. Protesters were in their large majority women. Many students and other youth, as well as people of all generations, participated in the actions. The protests were a good start in what is expected to be a long fight to defend women’s reproductive rights.
These rights are under frontal attack. The U.S. Supreme Court September 1 decision that refused to block a Texas law prohibiting abortion after cardiac activity is detected—which can be as early as six weeks after the onset of pregnancy—underlined the urgency of the moment, which protesters understood. “Bans off our bodies,” was one of the most popular slogans on placards and sings. “Roe can’t go” read others, referring to the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that decriminalized abortion.
Women’s March, the organization behind the massive rallies that occurred the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, initiated the call for yesterday’s protests. More than 90 other organizations endorsed the call. These include Planned Parenthood, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, Mississippi in Action, Access Reproductive Care-Southeast, Working Families Party, and SisterSong, to name just a few.
Below is a photo gallery from the October 2 protests. Many of the photos were sent by our readers. We will publish more extensive coverage of these actions in coming days.
World-Outlook editors
WASHINGTON, D.C.: 10,000
Protesters march by the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Alex Wong / Getty Images)As many as 10,000 people turned out for the march in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Joshua Roberts / Getty Images)
CHICAGO: 7,000
More than 7,000 people turned out to defend a woman’s right to chooseabortion in Chicago. (Photos: Linda Loew)
LOS ANGELES: 7,000+
About 7,500 turned out in Los Angeles. Another 1,500 joined six other LA county actions. (Photo: Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Daily News)
PHOENIX: 5,000+
More than 5,000 marched and rallied in Phoenix, including many students from Arizona State University. (Photos: Duane Stilwell)
DENVER: 5,000
About 5,000 people rallied in Denver, Colorado, and many marched for women’s rights. (Photos: Francisco Picado / World-Outlook)
SAN FRANCISCO: 5,000
Some 5,000 marched through San Francisco to defend a woman’s right to choose. (Photo: Screenshot from KPIX TV coverage)
NEW YORK CITY: 3,000+
More than 3,000 people turned out in New York City. (Photos: Estelle DeBates)
Youth from Trinity High School join hundreds of other students and people from all generations in New York City protest for women’s rights. (Photo: Jason Corley)
MINNEAPOLIS: 3,000
About 3,000 people marched in Minneapolis for women’s rights. About 500 rallied at the same time outside the Minnesota state capitol in St. Paul. (Photo: Sofia Sank)
TEXAS: Thousands march throughout state
Thousands rallied outside the Texas state capitol in Austin to protest the new state abortion ban. [Photos: Chelsea Purgham / Texas Tribune (left); Montinique Monroe (right) / Getty Images]Thousands marched in Houston, Texas. (Photo: Annie Mulligan / Texas Tribune)Thousands demonstrated in Dallas, Texas. Smaller actions took place in Brownsville and elsewhere in the state. (Photos: Carly May / Texas Tribune)
ALBANY, NY: 1,500
More than 1,500 rallied outside the New York state capitol in Albany, NY. (Photos: Argiris Malapanis / World-Outlook)
SEATTLE: 1,000
About 1,000 people protested in Seattle, Washington State, to defend a woman’s right to choose. (Photos: Lisa Ahlberg)
