More than 100 people attended an event Tuesday put on by Women's March San Francisco to regroup and re-energize following last week's overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“It’s infuriating. Absolutely infuriating,” said East Bay Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, acknowledging abortions are protected in California, but sharing stories from people in states.
“A woman called, a grandmother who had a 14-year-old granddaughter who had been raped and they had to cancel her abortion,” said Wicks.
The Supreme Court decision leaves it up to states to decide abortion law, and it can be confusing.
As of Tuesday, abortion providers in Texas can resume abortions under the current heartbeat law that will be revisited in two weeks
In Tennessee, a federal court has allowed abortions to be banned as early as six weeks into pregnancy.
Several states which passed trigger laws are now seeing federal courts block those laws from being enforced.
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The local Planned Parenthood is preparing for an influx of women from states where abortion is now banned.
“We’re making sure we have proper infrastructure from the point of contact whether that’s online or a phone call and when there is a patient who needs additional resources and help, we are able to guide them,” said Gilda Gonzales of NorCal Planned Parenthood.
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Leah Carlon of Oakland left Tuesday's discussion inspired.
“I think right now I’m emotional walking away from this panel,” she said. “When I get home we are definitely going to do the research of where I can donate.”
Her boyfriend attended the session with her and said, “It would be nice to get a lot more men involved and something like this.”
Abortion rights supporters can expect a new breed of anti-abortion activists, such as Kristin Turner from Pro Life San Francisco.
“As a feminist, as an atheist who does organize for the pro life side, I don’t believe that my liberation can be built on violence against smaller, weaker human beings,” she said. “And I think to say that is a capitalist ploy and it’s disingenuous.”
Many decisions in the abortion debate will be made by judges. In California in November, voters will have an opportunity to amend the state’s constitution to include the right to an abortion.
