Abortion rights protesters swarmed Austin streets as anti-abortion activists celebrated
Austin saw competing abortion rights protests and anti-abortion celebrations last weekend after the Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, ending constitutional protections for abortion.
Protesters poured into the streets Sunday after an East Austin rally at which Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke called on supporters to vote in new Texas leadership.
Speaking to a crowd at Pan American Neighborhood Park, O'Rourke said the only way to secure access to abortion in Texas is for the Democratic Party to gain political power. He encouraged everyone to turn out and vote in the November election and to sign up to knock on doors to encourage people to vote.
The Supreme Court's ruling will put into effect within weeks a trigger law in Texas that will make it a felony to perform an abortion. Texas also has anti-abortion laws that were enacted before the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling and never repealed by state lawmakers.
"They acknowledged more than red or blue, we are nonvoting right now in the state of Texas. And it is up to us to reach out to our fellow Texans and to bring them into this beautiful democracy," O'Rourke said about attendees at a recent event in Bryan.
Abortion opponents also gathered over the weekend to celebrate the Supreme Court's ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.
Kim Schwartz, a Texas Right to Life spokesperson, told the American-Statesman, "The decision to overturn Roe means that states will once again have the authority to defend preborn children from the slaughter of abortion. Now the battle will continue state by state, and we won't stop until every innocent human life is protected."
After the decision, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that the court "correctly overturned Roe v. Wade." He gave examples of laws and government spending he signed for expectant mothers, including $100 million to the Alternatives to Abortion program under Texas Health and Human Services. Abbott also touted extending Medicaid coverage to new mothers from 60 days to six months after giving birth.
A majority of Texas voters, however, opposed automatically banning all abortions if the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, according to an April poll by the Texas Politics Project.
Leaders from Avow Texas PAC and Planned Parenthood spoke Sunday, as did other Democratic politicians, including Texas attorney general candidate Rochelle Garza and lieutenant governor candidate Mike Collier.
Abortion rights advocates state Rep. Donna Howard and former state Sen. Wendy Davis spoke, the latter introducing O'Rourke. Davis is best known for her 13-hour filibuster of an anti-abortion bill.
"Now, we just heard from Wendy Davis," O'Rourke said. "And one of the reasons she is my all-time hero is when she stood on the Senate floor in 2013, she had no idea whether what she was doing was going to bring about the desired results in that moment. In fact, the odds were probably against her. But she knew that she had to try."
The Democratic candidates called on liberal voters to turn out in the upcoming election and vote out the state's Republican leadership.
More: See what protests over Roe v. Wade ruling look like in Austin and nationwide
More: Beto O'Rourke rallies for reproductive rights in Austin, Texas
After the event, protesters spilled onto the street, some of them chanting at a group of anti-abortion demonstrators. Police requested that protesters clear the street, but they chanted "go home" and "no justice, no peace" before police moved into their cars and demonstrators began to proceed down the street.
Later that evening, protesters gathered in front of the Capitol, where they were met with a heavy police presence, with officers warning protesters not to block city streets.
Austin Police Department public information officer Michael Bullock said that as of 9 p.m. Sunday, four arrests had been made. Bullock said he did not have details on the charges.
More: Beto O'Rourke suggests he could 'overcome' abortion ruling as governor. He could not.
Protesters on Saturday evening also spilled into downtown Austin streets. Police Chief Joe Chacon estimated there were more than 5,000 people at the Saturday rally.
Chacon told the American-Statesman that the Saturday crowd of protesters was "generally very cooperative and peaceful."
At least 1,000 people denounced the reversal of Roe v. Wade in a Friday downtown protest as well.
Fact Check: Did Texas turn down $100 billion when Republicans rejected Medicaid expansion?
Contact Nusaiba Mizan at nmizan@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @nusaiblah.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Abortion rights protestors take to Austin streets after O'Rourke rally
