Protesters march through Philadelphia after Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
"It's 2022. Why are we going backwards instead of forwards?" said Haaficah Carter of South Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Protesters gathered outside City Hall in Philadelphia after the Supreme Court on Friday stripped away women's constitutional protections for abortion, a fundamental and deeply personal change for Americans' lives after nearly a half-century under Roe v. Wade.
The ruling, unthinkable just a few years ago, was the culmination of decades of efforts by abortion opponents, made possible by an emboldened right side of the court fortified by three appointees of former President Donald Trump.
Both sides predicted the fight over abortion would continue, in state capitals, in Washington and at the ballot box. Justice Clarence Thomas, part of Friday's majority, urged colleagues to overturn other high court rulings protecting same-sex marriage, gay sex and the use of contraceptives.
Chopper 6 was overhead as protesters marched from City Hall to Independence Hall.
"We've had rights up until right now over control of my body. It's 2022, why are we going backwards instead of forwards," said Haaficah Carter of South Philadelphia.
"It should have only been women voters. I can't tell a woman what to do with her body," said T.K. Johnson of North Philadelphia.
Some protesters voiced their concerns about what overturned decisions could come down next from the Supreme Court after the abortion decision.
"As a member of the LGBTQ community I few like this is the first step in a domino effect because it's going to take away rights, not just from women for healthcare, but it will wind up affecting the queer community," said Brenton Grant, who lives in Old City.
SEE ALSO: How does overturning Roe v. Wade impact women in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware?
Pregnant women considering abortions already had been dealing with a near-complete ban in Oklahoma and a prohibition after roughly six weeks in Texas. Clinics in at least eight other states - Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, South Dakota, Wisconsin and West Virginia - stopped performing abortions after Friday's decision.
Abortion foes cheered the ruling, but abortion-rights supporters, including President Joe Biden, expressed dismay and pledged to fight to restore the rights.
"It's a sad day for the court and for the country," Biden said at the White House. He urged voters to make it a defining issue in the November elections, declaring, "This decision must not be the final word."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
