WASHINGTON (Reuters] – Pro-abortion advocates and activists took to the streets in Washington after hearing that the U.S. Supreme Court might overturn Roe v Wade, which had legalized abortion nationally, on Tuesday.

Politico reported Monday that a leaked draft of the majority opinion suggested the court had voted to repeal Roe v. Wade.

Reuters could not confirm that the draft opinion was authentic. The White House and Supreme Court declined comment.

After the news broke, both anti-abortion supporters and those for abortion shouting “abortion should be healthcare” faced off in front of the court.

The most contentious issue in American politics is abortion, and it has been so for almost a century.

Pew Research Center polled Americans in 2021 and found that 59% thought it should legal in all or most instances. 39% though it should illegal in almost all cases.

“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” conservative Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the draft opinion which is dated Feb. 10, according to Politico, which posted a copy https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000180-874f-dd36-a38c-c74f98520000 online.

Alito’s opinion suggests that Alito would have argued that Roe V. Wade which permitted abortions to be done before a foetus was viable outside of the womb (between 24 and 28 week of pregnancy) was wrongly decided. This is because the U.S. Constitution doesn’t specifically address abortion rights.

“Abortion is a deep moral issue. According to leaked documents, Alito stated that the Constitution doesn’t prohibit citizens from prohibiting or regulating abortion.

It was shocking news for the United States. This is not surprising considering that the Court prides itself in keeping all internal discussions secret. Leaks are rare.

These shocking developments shocked the abortion industry.

Andrea Gallegos was the executive administrator of Tulsa Women’s Clinic, Oklahoma. She had called 25 women scheduled to have abortions Tuesday night to inform them their appointment would be cancelled due to a new Oklahoma law. It is based on an extremely restrictive Texas ban on abortion.

She stated, “I don’t know how I can be surprised”,

“Now that all the other conservative states, like Oklahoma, are passing exactly the same legislation as Texas, I must say I was less optimistic and more afraid for the future Roe.”

SEEPING MOVEMENT BY CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY

This ruling will be the most significant court decision since the former president Donald Trump was able to name three justices, cementing the court’s 6-3 conservative majority.

According to both Democrats, “The Republican-appointed Justices’ votes to overturn Roe V. Wade” would be remembered by Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House speaker, and Chuck Schumer (Senate majority leader), as an abomination.

It was six months ago that the news first broke. These midterm elections will determine if Democrats maintain their thin majorities at the U.S. Congress in the two-year period of President Joe Biden.

Based on an oral argument given by Mississippi in December regarding its bid to reinstate the ban on abortion beginning at 15 weeks pregnant, a law that was blocked lower court.

Reports indicated that a court majority would uphold Mississippi’s ban on abortion and that five voters could overturn Roe. The official decision will be announced by the court before June 30th.

Four of the other Republican-appointed justices – Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett – voted with Alito in the conference held among the justices, the report added.

Following an oral argument and an initial vote, the justices assign one the majority opinion. Then they write a draft. The draft is circulated to the justices.

The vote alignment may change between the original vote and when the ruling is released. Only when a court publishes a ruling, is it final?

Roe v. Wade recognized the U.S. Constitution’s right to privacy and protects women’s rights to end their pregnancy.

It has been a long-held goal of many Republican officeholders as well as Christian conservatives to repeal it.

Roe will likely be overturned and abortion would remain legal in liberal countries. More than twelve states have current laws that guarantee abortion rights. Recent years have seen many Republican-led states pass abortion restrictions that are contrary to the Roe precedent.

Republicans may try to pass an abortion ban nationwide, and Democrats might also want to safeguard abortion rights at the federal level.

Democrats claimed that the draft opinion undermining the importance this year’s election, where they seek to retain control of both the House and Senate, is a violation of their rights. Republican lawmakers criticised the leak saying it was an attempt by the court to change its mind.

Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion group welcomed the news.

“If Roe is indeed overturned, our job will be to build consensus for the strongest protections possible for unborn children and women in every legislature,” said its president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, in a statement.