Rally Opposing Supreme Court Decisions: Large & LOUD
A view of Sunday’s protest rally on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen bridge which was decorated with flags from around the world for Westport’s annual jUNe day.
Sunday's protesters on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial bridge in Westport were quite clear about their feelings on the recent high court decisions on concealed carry gun laws and the reversal of the nearly 50 year old ruling on Roe v. Wade preventing the banning of abortion restrictions nationwide. They are adamant in their opposition to the high court's ruling. They made that very clear with both numbers, estimated to be as high as 400 or more at it's peak and with volume both by protestors and their supporters who crossed the bridge where the din of car horns din was almost non-stop. The crowd cheered when a semi truck with a giant Amercian flag painted on it's side rumbled over the bridge and trumpeted support sounding his air horn.
Story and photos by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Protest organizer, activist Darcy Hicks, founder of DefenDemocracy of CT Facebook page.revs up the crowd and leads the chants on Sunday.
Ms. Hicks addressed the crowd and also told WestportLocal “Our goal is to raise awareness about how we can actually make an impact. This is a fight for the rights of women everywhere, a fight for safe gun laws, a fight for LGBTQ+ rights, which are next on the chopping block of the courts. If the Republicans get one more Senate seat, Sen Mitch MConnel has promised to ban abortions nationwide - so it won’t matter that we live in CT. We need to give to senators outside CT (Fetterman in PA, Cortez Masto in NV, Warnock in GA, Kelly in AZ). We can turn this around if we get Senate seats.” Ms. Hicks also said “The time for moderate Republicans is over. Theirs is not the party of Lincoln, or even Reagan. It is 2022 and they have shown us that they are a party of nationalism, racism, anti-democracy, destruction and bloodshed. If anyone still aligns with that party, they are complicit in supporting all that is happening to strip us of our dignity.”
Sunday's protesters on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial bridge in Westport were quite clear about their feelings on the recent high court decisions on concealed carry gun laws and the reversal of the nearly 50 year old ruling on Roe v. Wade preventing the banning of abortion restrictions nationwide. They are adamant in their opposition to the high court's ruling. They made that very clear with both numbers, estimated to be as high as 400 or more at it's peak and with volume both by protestors and their supporters who crossed the bridge where the din of car horns din was almost non-stop. The crowd cheered when a semi truck with a giant Amercian flag painted on it's side rumbled over the bridge and trumpeted support sounding his air horn.
Speakers at the event which was covered by local media including WestportLocal.com and News Channel 12 was a who's who of local, state and federal officials including first selectwoman Jen Tooker and third selectwoman Melissa Kane, who is a long time gun safety advocat, is on the board of CTAgainst Gun Violence and has served on the board of Pro Choice CT. Liz Gustafson from ProChoice CT also addressed the crowd. Governor Lamont who has attended previous Westport demonstrations was represented by his wife, CT first lady, venture capitalist and health investor Annie Lamont. Federal officials addressing the crowd included US Senator from CT, Richard Blumenthal and Congressman Jim Himes of the CT 4th district which includes much of Fairfield county including Westport & Weston. Both Blumenthal and HImes have supported the right to choose for many years. Blumenthal has said the the decision "has stripped women of the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions and instead puts that power in the hands of the government. Women across this country no longer have the right to decide when and whether to bear children".
Former state Senator Toni Boucher who is running for her old seat now that Westport's Will Haskell has chosen to go to law school and is not running for re-election was not present at the rally but has released this statement: “I am thankful that Connecticut is a state where a woman's right to choose is already strongly protected and codified in state law. As a result of the bipartisan policies enacted in Connecticut, the Supreme Court's ruling does not and will not change a woman's right to choose here in our state. The Supreme Court ruling does not change anything in Connecticut, but like many of you my concern is with those in other states who are now fearful for what will happen to their right to choose and personal body freedom, as well as their concerns regarding the impact on public health in many regards."
There were some signs protesting the Court's ruling on concealed carry which struck down a NYC law over 100 years old however most of the protestors attention was focused on the reversal of Roe by the scores of very creative signs pictured here and our earlier galleries. Also of note were the broad array of protestors which ranged from highly vocal and motivated teens to a senior citizens, both men and women including one woman in her nineties. Many moms, both younger and older were their with their daughters who the people who may be the most affected by the consequences of this ruling and of other reversals of Supreme Court precedents opined upon by Clarence Thomas in his concurring opinion. Those include Obergerfell v. Hodges where seven years ago to the day the high court ruled in favor of same sex marriage, and Griswold v. Connecticut where in 1965, by a 7-2 majority the court found that Connecticut's ban on the use of contraceptives violated marital privacy. Thomas wrote "In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell. Because any substantive due process decision is “demonstrably erroneous,” we have a duty to “correct the error” established in those precedents. The language of that opinion has alarmed many concerned about the Supreme Courts increasing tack to the right.
Story and photos by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Travelers crossing the bridge showed their approval of the protest with thugs up and clenched fists and blaring car horns.
There is a real irony in the fact that Sunday's protest took place amid the waving flags placed to celebrate Westport's annual jUNe day which hosted approximately 100 guests only one day before when opening ceremonies for the event were held. Fifty-five other countries, many with flags flying allow abortion and Mexico's Supreme Court unanimously found "penalizing abortion is unconstitutional" recently. (cnn.com). Canada allows abortion services which are available at hospitals and private clinics. World leaders including US allies in the G7 have criticized the repeal of Roe v. Wade and and European cities are planning protests this weekend. (cnn.com)