Oakland has become a "sanctuary city" for women seeking abortions.
Leaders in the East Bay's largest city on Tuesday night unanimously voted to pass a resolution that protects abortion rights.
The discussion is in response to the leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court that suggests the court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade later this summer.
The resolution calls for a number of things, including the declaration that Oakland is a "sanctuary city" for women seeking an abortion, especially for those coming from another state where an abortion might someday be illegal.
The resolution also calls on Congress to pass the Women's Health Protection Act, which would codify abortion into law. And it calls on the state and counties across California to provide money for abortion and contraceptives.
"We know there is a right-wing effort to turn back the clock on racial justice, on voting rights, on reproductive freedom and on the right for people to love whom they choose," Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan said. "So we need to oppose this effort with our laws, with our actions and be in solidarity with one another in this fight."
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Many Republicans don’t support the right to an abortion. They argue that the fetus is a human being and that aborting it is taking a life.
On Tuesday morning and again in the evening, abortion rights supporters rallied in front of Oakland City Hall
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Council President Pro Tempore Sheng Thao states:
“The passage of this resolution makes Oakland the first City in California to declare itself a Sanctuary City for Abortion Access and is the first step we will be taking to expand abortion access to anyone who needs it. Healthcare is a human right, and the City of Oakland stands firmly behind anyone exercising their right to reproductive care," said Sheng Thao, Council President Pro Tempore. "This resolution says to women across the country, who are under attack, that your rights will be protected here. Your autonomy, your agency, your access will be protected here. And those who would threaten or harass you will not be tolerated or enabled here in Oakland”.
