Furious protest erupt outside Supreme Court as justices strike down Roe v Wade

Protests have erupted outside the Supreme Court after a majority of its justices voted to overturn Roe v Wade, which guarantees American women the right to an abortion.

Pro-abortion protesters howled with outrage as the long-anticipated opinion was published shortly after 10am EST Friday, with hundreds gathered outside the court in Washington DC ahead of the widely-anticipated decision.

Many were visibly dejected at news of the landmark ruling, and embraced one another on learning that their protests at plans to end federal access to abortion had come to naught. 

There were also cheers of delight from pro-life advocates, who gathered outside the United States’ highest court ahead of the landmark ruling. 

Some anti-abortionists were themselves overcome with news of the ruling, and were seen sobbing outside the United States’ highest court as news of the 6-3 ruling began to filter through the assembled crowd.   

Pro-life protesters celebrate with champagne on Friday moments after the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v Wade, which guarantees women the right to an abortion 

Two anti-abortion demonstrators embrace and hug outside the Supreme Court on on learning that Roe v Wade had been overturned 

Another pro-life protester, left, appeared overcome on learning the news that Roe v Wade has ended, with many conservative states now set to ban women from terminating unwanted pregnancies 

Pro-life protesters were also visibly emotional as the ruling was published. Anti-abortion activist Carrie McDonald, left, and two unnamed pro-lifers (right) began to sob as news of the landmark ruling filtered through a crowd gathered outside the Supreme Court in Washington DC 

This group of pro-lifers appeared pleased by the decision, and smiled while reading the news on their phones 

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Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene joined pro-lifers to celebrate Friday’s news that Roe v Wade has been overturned 

The landmark ruling means much of the US is now braced for a weekend of violence. Pro-abortion protesters vowed riots if last month’s leak hinting an abortion ban was on the cards came to pass.

Hard-left progressives – many of them linked to Antifa – have already torched multiple pro-life centers across the US and scrawled warnings on buildings warning of further action against them.  

They were seen showering one another with champagne while cheering. 

They hit the streets Supreme Court has struck down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that guarantees women across the US the right to an abortion.

Six of the court’s nine justices signed the opinion, which was handed down on Friday morning, triggering instant and furious protests from pro-abortion advocates across the US. 

A pro-choice protester looked visibly upset after learning that American women were no longer guaranteed the right to an abortion 

There was clear anger and upset among pro-abortion protesters, who shouted into loudspeakers and waved placards suggesting Friday’s ruling was misogynist 

The anguish on the face of these pro-choice protesters was clear to see after it emerged that Roe v Wade had been overturned 

Another pro-abortion protester was snapped with tears in her eyes as the gravity of Friday’s ruling hit home 

Two pro-life friends hug one another at news that Roe had ended, while a woman stood behind them began to protest animatedly at the news 

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A pro-choice protester sobbed on learning Roe v Wade had been struck down by the Supreme Court Friday 

Tears ran down another woman’s face on learning that Roe v Wade has been struck down 

It said: ‘The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.’ 

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have both vociferously opposed any attempts to overturn Roe, and are widely-expected to condemn Friday’s ruling. 

But pro-life advocates are thrilled by the opinion, which means individual states can now enact their own abortion laws.

The landmark opinion can be credited in large part to former President Donald Trump, who managed to appoint three conservative justices during his single term in office.

That flipped the Supreme Court balance from having five conservatives and four liberals to six conservatives and three liberals, emboldening the right-wing justices to make landmark rulings on issues such as abortion. 

A total of 26 states are expected to enact near-total bans on abortion after control over the issue was handed back to them, with many bringing in punitive new pro-choice laws in recent months in anticipation of the end of Roe. 

The Supreme Court is pictured behind security barriers on June 24 ahead of the ruling on ending Roe v Wade 

Liberal states including New York and California have vowed to become ‘sanctuaries’ that will welcome women who can no longer have a termination in their home states.  

The ruling that ended Roe v. Wade and sent shockwaves across the US establishment was signed by conservative justices Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, as well as Chief Justice John Roberts.

Opposed were its three liberal justices:  Sonia Sotomayer, Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer. Breyer is set to retire from his post in July, and will be replaced by recently-confirmed Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who is also a liberal.

Friday’s monumental opinion did not come as a surprise, thanks to a leaked draft of the proposed ruling that was first shared with Politico in early May.

That leak  – the first in the Supreme Court’s 232 year history – roiled the court and is said to have sewn discord and distrust among its justices.

An anti-abortion activist, pictured right, points his finger close to pro-abortion protesters outside the Supreme Court on June 23 

An investigation as to how the document was leaked is ongoing. 

Speculation continues as to whether it was leaked by a liberal court worker hoping to stir enough outrage to derail the ruling – or a conservative hoping to galvanize any justices who were wavering about whether to back the landmark opinion. 

Subsequent reporting by The Washington Post revealed that the five justices who signed the leaked draft had not changed their stances, despite the firestorm of controversy and protests it triggered.

Progressive pro-abortion protesters targeted the homes of conservative justices including Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

And a California man was even arrested over claims he planned to assassinate Kavanaugh for backing the plan to ditch Roe.  

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