Historic Capitol the scene for Friday evening abortion rights rally

As abortion rights rallies proliferate across the country in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, a group of college and other local Tallahassee organizations will hold one of their own on the steps of the Historic Capitol.

“Florida led the reactionary charge against reproductive rights with the passage of HB 5 earlier in 2022, as states like Texas and Oklahoma were quick to follow with their own abortion bans,” according to a statement by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Florida State University (FSU).

“These abortion bans are being passed at the same time that Florida and other states are conducting an all-out attack on LGBTQ rights. Now the Supreme Court has decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, despite a Democrat-controlled White House and Congress.”

Joining FSU Students for a Democratic Society are Florida A&M University (FAMU) Students for a Democratic Society, FAMU Generation Action, Florida Coalition for Transgender Liberation, FSU College Democrats, FSU Graduate Students United, the Student/Farmworker Alliance, Tallahassee Community Action Committee, Tallahassee Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Tallahassee Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Tallahassee Industrial Workers of the World, Tallahassee National Organization for Women and Tallahassee Planned Parenthood.

Writing the opinion of the Supreme Court invalidating Roe, Justice Samuel Alito wrote, “Abortion presents a profound moral question. The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We now overrule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives.”

Joining him were Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Chief Justice John Roberts concurred with the judgment. Dissenting were Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

The rally is scheduled for 5 p.m. on the steps of the Historic Capitol at 400 S. Monroe St. in Tallahassee.