As police in riot gear moved to avert violence outside the Supreme Court Friday, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York joined the crowd in calling the court decision that overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling “illegitimate.”
Ocasio-Cortez waded into the crowd of abortion supporters Friday morning after the court issued a 6-3 ruling that upheld a Mississippi law curbing the availability of abortion.
Speaking through a public address system to protesters, Ocasio-Cortez called for abortion’s supporters to get “into the streets.”
This is live AOC is using a blow horn pic.twitter.com/OoP6jz4S6P
— 13 Heroes ??let’s go Brandon ?? Joe Rogan?? (@13Heroes) June 24, 2022
BREAKING: Congresswoman @AOC has arrived in front of the Supreme Court and is chanting that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade is “illegitimate” and calls for people to get “into the streets” | @TPUSA pic.twitter.com/jNkCYDrLtz
— Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) June 24, 2022
In an interview, Ocasio-Cortez took aim at the court for not deciding as she had wished.
Do you expect violence to erupt from pro-abortion protecters?
“Not only should we look at expanding the Supreme Court, but I think we need to acknowledge that the Supreme Court of the United States has very few checks and balances,” she said.
She said the court “chose to endanger the lives of all women and all birthing people in this country … they’ve chosen to strip rights from men too.”
Rep @AOC heading towards #SCOTUS pic.twitter.com/FVKECq4djn
— Lisa Bennatan (@LisaBennatan) June 24, 2022
Asked about her call to expand the court, AOC told me: “Not only should we look at expanding the Supreme Court, but I think we need to acknowledge that the Supreme Court of the United States has very few checks and balances.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 24, 2022
.@AOC says SCOTUS “chose to endanger the lives of all women and all birthing people in this country…they’ve chosen to strip rights from men too.” pic.twitter.com/ma1xbaVrUQ
— MRCTV (@mrctv) June 24, 2022
Ocasio-Cortez refused to acknowledge a question about condemning any violence by pro-abortion protesters that might follow the ruling.
Law enforcement lining up in riot gear pic.twitter.com/vFHwf1dAEq
— Lisa Bennatan (@LisaBennatan) June 24, 2022
Police were summoned to hold tempers in check as jubilant pro-life supporters marched in front of the court, as did enraged abortion advocates.
Law enforcement lining up in riot gear pic.twitter.com/vFHwf1dAEq
— Lisa Bennatan (@LisaBennatan) June 24, 2022
As of early afternoon, no injuries had been reported in the protests.
Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a statement deploring the ruling, according to CNN.
“The Supreme Court has eliminated an established right that has been an essential component of women’s liberty for half a century — a right that has safeguarded women’s ability to participate fully and equally in society. And in renouncing this fundamental right, which it had repeatedly recognized and reaffirmed, the Court has upended the doctrine of stare decisis, a key pillar of the rule of law,” the statement said.
