Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey speaks at a protest against Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in front of the City-County Building in Pittsburgh. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/PublicSource)
The U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn the 49-year-old Roe v. Wade decision establishing abortion rights prompted coalitions of organizations to gather at the City-County Building.
Hundreds gathered in front of the City-County Building in Downtown Pittsburgh Friday evening, listening as Planned Parenthood, the Abortion Defense Committee and allies led a protest of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overrule Roe v. Wade.
“Don’t like abortions? Ignore them like you ignore school shootings,” one poster read.
Many people remember where they were on landmark days. State Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale and her party’s nominee for Congress, asked: “Where were we when our fundamental rights started to erode?
“If you care about abortion rights – and this one’s uncomfortable,” Summer Lee called out to the crowd, “it’s time you stop saying ‘vote blue no matter who.’”
Allegheny County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam, a Democrat elected at-large, led a group scream. She said the system “was designed to function in exactly the way that it’s operating right now. … This is the way that the system was designed!”
“I vote,” one attendee said, “but that obviously doesn’t do anything.”
Carnegie resident Mary Zuccaro said she wants to see everyone showing up to support reproductive health, “including grandmas like me. It’s not just the young radicals.” A retired Planned Parenthood employee, Zuccaro added that she hopes Democrats follow through on their promise to protect abortion in Pennsylvania. “If not, all hell is going to break loose.”
There was also a contingent demanding more radical political change, rallying behind the chant: “Democrats we call your bluff. Voting blue is not enough.”
About Post Author
