A Los Angeles protest over the leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that would throw out the Roe v. Wade abortion ruling briefly turned into a skirmish with police, the Associated Press reports. A citywide police tactical alert was declared after a Tuesday night confrontation near downtown’s Pershing Square. Authorities say about 250 people had been marching peacefully for abortion rights before the clash. Police Chief Michel Moore says some demonstrators threw rocks and bottles at officers. One officer was struck with a baton. It was the only violence reported among demonstrations around the nation. About 1,000 people gathered outside the Supreme Court in Washington D.C. Smaller gatherings were held in Atlanta; Austin, Tx., and New York City.
President Biden said if Roe v. Wade is overturned, other rights could be next. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, several state abortion bans would kick in. Vice President Kamala Harris said of Supreme Court justices reportedly backing the pending decision, “How dare they? ...How dare they try to deny women their rights and their freedoms.” Dr. Iman Alsaden of Planned Parenthood Great Plains said her organization has already had a glimpse of what a post-Roe v. Wade landscape would look like. Texas’ ban on abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy took effect in September, resulting in a 2500 percent increase in the number of patients from Texas at her group’s clinics in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.