One year to the day after the historic reversal of the Supreme Court on the right to abortion, cursed or celebrated on Saturday by Americans across the country, Joe Biden has promised to fight against the “extreme and dangerous program of the Republicans”.
On June 24, 2022, the high court, significantly overhauled by ex-President Donald Trump who appointed three conservative judges to it, overturned its Roe v. Wade who guaranteed since 1973 the right to abortion to American women throughout the territory.
From then on, the States regained their freedom to legislate and about twenty of them decreed in the wake of a ban or significant restrictions on access to abortion. Others, on the contrary, have adopted new safeguards.
A decision that had “devastating” consequences for women’s health, the American president denounced on Friday.
The closure of abortion centers in a dozen states has led tens of thousands of women to travel to another state to have an abortion.
“My beliefs should not restrict your rights” and “my body, my choice”, could be read on signs brandished during a rally organized Saturday in favor of the right to abortion in the federal capital.
“State-level bans are just the beginning. Congressional Republicans want to ban abortion nationwide,” Joe Biden said in a statement released on the anniversary of the decision on Saturday. justice.
An ambition clearly claimed during an event organized Saturday morning by conservative and religious associations at the foot of the Lincoln memorial, in the federal capital, under the curious gaze of tourists.
The Supreme Court’s decision “was a good first step”, but now we must “finish the job” and “protect lives in all states”, explained to AFP Steve Karlen, member of the association ” 40 days of life”, who came from Wisconsin with his wife.
A total ban on the right to abortion “will happen one day. We no longer have slavery in our country, and the day will come when we will no longer have abortions”, assured for his part his wife, Laura Karlen, all smiles.
Faced with these ambitions relayed by several Republican representatives, President Joe Biden promised once again on Saturday that his administration would continue to “protect” women’s health.
He also called on “Congress to restore” the constitutional right to abortion, which however is unlikely to succeed given the division of the two chambers between Democrats and Republicans.
The subject of abortion is tearing American society apart and could play a central role in the upcoming US presidential election.
According to a recent CBS / YouGov poll, 63% of Americans say they are against a ban on abortion throughout the United States, called for by certain associations and elected conservatives.
“The American people will not accept it,” thundered the vice-president on Friday.
Demonstrations and events were being held across the country on Saturday by both pro and anti-abortion protesters.
A large rally of the evangelical and conservative “Faith and Freedom” movement, which has made the ban on abortion one of its main fights, is also to be held on Saturday in Washington, in which Donald Trump is to participate.
The former president recently said the Supreme Court’s decision was “God’s will,” but isn’t loudly calling for a federal ban.
25/06/2023 00:25:54 – Washington (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
