by Phil Manzano with photography by Maile Anderson and Alex Garland
After news site Politico obtained and published a draft opinion last week showing the Supreme Court had voted to overturn a woman's right to choose an abortion, opposition galvanized overnight.
Hundreds of protesters gathered at Westlake Park last Tuesday night, May 3, and earlier Gov. Jay Inslee called on politicians and advocates to rally at Kerry Park where he vowed Washington "was a pro-choice state, Washington State is a pro-choice state, and we are going to fight like hell to keep Washington a pro-choice state."
The draft opinion brought out the young and the old, those new to the issue and those in it since 1973 when the Supreme Court decided the case. Signs were hastily created, and it's likely those signs will see more use in the days ahead as the country waits for the Supreme Court to issue its final decision.
The King County Council declared Tuesday, May 10, that the current Roe v. Wade decision will be the "law of the land" in King County, even if the Supreme Court votes to overturn the case.
"If the Supreme Court moves forward with this outrageous decision, they will take away the rights of women to make decisions about their own bodies," said Councilmember Claudia Balducci in a press release. "As a nation, we must stand up to this kind of restriction on freedom and autonomy, in the same way we condemn assaults on freedom in any other country in the world. We must also renew our commitment to making abortion care widely accessible in King County and Washington state, including to anyone who needs to flee their own home in order to exercise their reproductive rights safely, legally and with dignity."
Photographers Maile Anderson and Alex Garland covered the events for the South Seattle Emerald and brought back these photos where the signs told the story.
Alex Garland is a photojournalist and reporter. With a degree in emergency administration and disaster planning from the University of North Texas, Alex spent his early professional career as a GIS analyst for FEMA. Follow him on Twitter.
Phil Manzano is a South Seattle writer, editor with more than 30 years of experience in daily journalism, and is the interim news editor for the Emerald.
Featured Image: Protestors gather in the hours after a draft opinion revealed the Supreme Court voted to overturn abortion and a woman's right to choose. (Photo: Maile Anderson)
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