In the United States, the liberal abortion law could be on the verge of an end – as a leaked document from the Supreme Court suggests. Conservative Oklahoma is creating facts as abortion advocates and opponents demonstrate.
Amid the heated debate over abortion rights in the US, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has signed legislation drastically tightening the state’s regulations. Stitt said on Twitter that the four million people in his state are overwhelmingly in favor of protecting unborn life.
Oklahoma’s “heartbeat law” is similar to a highly controversial Texas law. It bans abortions once a doctor can determine the heartbeat of an embryo or fetus. This can be after around six weeks if some women do not yet know that they are pregnant.
The law also allows civil lawsuits against those who perform or knowingly assist women in having an abortion.
Liberals outraged by Supreme Court document
On Monday evening, the magazine “Politico” published the draft of a ruling by the US Supreme Court, according to which the country’s liberal abortion law is to be overturned. The document sparked outrage in the administration of Democratic US President Joe Biden and in liberal sections of the population.
The Supreme Court emphasized that this was not a final decision. A final decision is expected within the next two months.
Court President John Roberts also announced an investigation into who leaked the draft verdict to the press. The conservative constitutional judge condemned a “unique and outrageous breach of trust”.
Abortion rights as an election campaign issue
Conservative politicians have long sought to overturn the 1973 landmark ruling known as “Roe v. Wade.” On the basis of the “Roe v. Wade” ruling, abortions are permitted in the USA at least until the fetus is viable – today around the 24th week.
Biden’s Democrats wrote in an email to supporters that the congressional elections in November are also about abortion rights. The party solicited donations. “We will fight back with everything we have to ensure Republicans stand accountable for their party’s relentless attacks, but we cannot do this without you,” the letter said. According to polls, the majority of Democrats in the House and Senate could be at risk.
Nationwide protests
Thousands of people took to the streets in the United States. Large anti-abortion and pro-abortion demonstrations have taken place in cities like Washington, New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle.
In New York, Attorney General Democrat Letitia James told a crowd in Manhattan, “This is no time to be silent.” Defending the right to abortion is “one of the greatest battles to be waged.” “We’re not going back to the days when we used hangers,” James said, referring to improvised, life-threatening abortion methods. The right to control one’s own body is a “fundamental right”.
A downtown official has been injured during a protest against a possible repeal of abortion laws in Los Angeles. Around 250 people took part in the event. According to the police, people initially walked the streets peacefully. Some demonstrators then threw stones and bottles at officers, police chief Michel Moore said.
Biden appealed to the Supreme Court not to overturn Roe v. Wade. “I believe that women have a fundamental right to an abortion,” said the President. He also warned that if Roe v. Wade ended, numerous other issues such as same-sex marriage and the question of “how to raise your child” would also be at risk.
Trust in the Supreme Court damaged
One thing politicians from Democrats and Republicans rarely agree on is that the publication of the Supreme Court document itself breaks a taboo and is likely to further shake Americans’ already scant confidence in their Supreme Court.
