Pro-Abortion Protesters Hold ‘Candlelight Vigil for Roe v. Wade’ Near Supreme Court Justices’ Houses

Earlier this week, the White House encouraged “peaceful protests” by those who “feel outraged” over the leaked US Supreme Court draft decision that would overturn the nationwide right to abortion in the US, which has been legal since 1973.

A group of pro-abortion protesters has marched to the homes of Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh in Washington, D.C. for a “Candlelight vigil for Roe v. Wade”, a landmark 1973 ruling that envisages that women have the right to get abortions as part of their right to privacy.

Early this week, US media obtained a leaked Supreme Court draft majority opinion favouring an end to federal constitutional protections of abortion guaranteed under the Roe v Wade decision.

The Washington rally kicked off at a local café in the Chevy Chase neighbourhood on Saturday evening, with a flyer for the event reportedly stating that the activists will protest outside the justices’ houses “for reproductive freedom”.

During the march, the protesters were heard chanting “Keep abortion safe and legal” as images of coat hangers could be seen chalked on the street where the march occurred.

Fox News has meanwhile reported that another similar protest may take place in the US capital on Monday, when the left-wing group ShutDown is due to hold a rally outside of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's house.

The broadcaster cited the group as saying in a statement that on “the evening of Monday, 9 May”, they will “hold a vigil for all these rights that Alito is threatening to take away”.

“Because it’s been impossible to reach him at the Supreme Court (especially now with the enormous fences), we will do it at his home. At 7:30 pm we will gather at a nearby location and walk together to his house. At the foot of his driveway, on the public street, we will light candles and speakers will share their testimony. We will hold a moment of silence for the rights we know are ours, then walk back together to the meeting location,” the statement reads.

Workers erected “tall, non-scalable fencing” around the US Supreme Court late Wednesday night after a draft opinion reportedly ditching Roe v Wade was leaked by Politico.

The Washington march followed Justice Clarence Thomas warning pro-abortion activists that their drive to protest the Supreme Court’s expected overturn of Roe v. Wade would have no effect.

“We are becoming addicted to wanting particular outcomes, not living with the outcomes we don’t like. We can’t be an institution that can be bullied into giving you just the outcomes you want. The events from earlier this week are a symptom of that,” he told a judicial conference in Atlanta.

The remarks came after outgoing White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that President Joe Biden's message to anyone feeling outraged over Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade is that their best course of option “is participating in peaceful protest”.

She warned all potential protesters against “resorting to violence in any way, shape or form”, adding, “Ensure it's peaceful. Have your voice heard peacefully”.

Earlier this week, the pro-abortion group Ruth Sent Us published the apparent home addresses of Justices Amy Coney Barrett, John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, also announcing plans to dispatch demonstrators to “the homes of the six extremist justices” in Virginia and Maryland on 11 May.

“[…] If you’d like to join or lead a peaceful protest, let us know. […] Our 6-3 extremist Supreme Court routinely issues rulings that hurt women, racial minorities, LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights. We must rise up to force accountability using a diversity of tactics,” the group’s website reads.

On Tuesday, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed that the leaked abortion draft opinion was authentic, but said that it was not the final decision of the court and that’s she ordered an investigation into the leak.