Roe v. Wade rallies planned in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff after Supreme Court's abortion ruling
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Roe vs. Wade decision Friday morning, ending a constitutional right to an abortion, protests are expected to occur across the U.S.
As of Friday morning, demonstrators have already gathered outside the Supreme Court building in Washington, either in support or in protest of the court’s decision.
Arizona Department of Public Safety officers have put up a fence near the Arizona State Capitol "for public safety reasons should there be events there this weekend," according to Bart Graves, a public information officer with the department.
Here are some of the planned protests in Arizona. The list will be updated as other demonstrations are scheduled.
Phoenix protests
Friday, at 7 p.m. at the Arizona state Capitol
The Phoenix Party for Socialism and Liberation and the Phoenix branch of Radical Women, a feminist socialist organization, have organized a protest for Friday evening at the Arizona State Capitol Building. The information was shared on a flyer posted through the Phoenix PSL Instagram.
On June 22, Radical Women said in a Facebook post it planned to hold a protest at 7 p.m. the evening the court decision was issued.
"This is only the beginning of the fightback!" the organization said in the Facebook post. "Come out to speak your mind and find out how to join with others in the movement for reproductive justice. As working class people, let's elevate the message that Unjust Decisions Will Not Be Obeyed!!"
Friday, at 7 p.m. at the Arizona state Capitol
Women's March Phoenix has also organized a protest at the state capitol building Friday night.
"There is no time to wait, friends. The time is NOW," Women's March Phoenix shared in a Facebook post. "The only way for us to protect reproductive rights in Arizona is now through the state legislature. Our current legislature will not protect us, they will further strip us of our rights."
The organization also requested abortion-rights candidates running for Arizona state Legislature to post campaign donation links as a reply to the Facebook post.
Saturday 11 a.m. at the Arizona State Capitol
Students for Life Action, a national anti-abortion youth organization, organized a mobilization in support of the overturn of Roe vs. Wade.
"Life is Louder" rallies are expected to take place in about 31 states. In Phoenix, the event is expected to take place at the Arizona Capitol on Saturday morning.
"These life-chain events will celebrate the end of the egregiously wrong Roe decision and mark the beginning of an even more concentrated pro-life effort at the state level," the organization said in a statement released on Friday.
Tucson protests
Friday at 7 p.m., 405 W. Congress Street
The Tucson Women's March organized a protest Friday evening in front of the U.S. District Court in downtown Tucson.
In a post to its website, the organization said it does not have set plans for how the evening will go, unlike previous demonstrations it has set up.
"We are providing space for all of our responses to injustice, and we will do our best to make sure everyone stays safe and hydrated," the organization said in on its website. "We have shown grief, we have expressed our anger, now we unleash our primal scream- shaking the foundations of the establishments who seek to oppress us."
The organization recommended protesters park at El Mercado or ride the streetcar into the location from elsewhere.
In the post, the Women's March requested volunteers for its safety team to deescalate encounters with counter-protesters, as well as volunteers with medical training and water or Gatorade donations.
Friday, on Broadway Boulevard between Randolph and Alvernon ways
The Tucson Women's March will also rally during the day with signs along Broadway Boulevard between Randolph and Alvernon ways.
The protest was announced in the same website post as the other scheduled demonstration downtown Friday evening.
The organization recommended demonstrators use Reid Park for the most convenient parking.
Both protests will occur regardless of weather conditions and masks are encouraged based on Pima County's high number of COVID-19 infections, according to the Women's March's website.
Flagstaff protests
Friday at 5 p.m., Flagstaff City Hall, near the intersection of Route 66 and Humphreys Street.
Activists behind the Women's March have organized an evening rally to protest the Supreme Court's ruling at 5 p.m. Friday on the lawn of Flagstaff City Hall. Those interested in joining are encouraged to RSVP online and bring water and signs to the event.
Reach breaking news reporter Sam Burdette at sburdette@gannett.com or on Twitter @SuperSafetySam
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Roe v. Wade protests planned in Phoenix, Flagstaff and Tucson
