After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday, holding that there is no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion, protesters and supporters of the ruling gathered at the high court’s building in Washington, DC, and in other cities nationwide.
Similar demonstrations are planned across the country over the weekend, according to CNN’s research. Organizations like Planned Parenthood, Bans Off Our Bodies and Women’s March are among the groups organizing the events.
Late Friday, law enforcement in Arizona used tear gas to disperse a crowd of abortion rights supporters protesting outside the State Capitol in Phoenix.
“Troopers deployed tear gas after a crowd of protesters repeatedly pounded on the glass doors of the State Senate Building,” Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bart Graves told CNN.
The crowd then moved across the street to the Wesley Bolin Plaza, where police used the tear gas after a monument was vandalized, Graves said.
“While working inside we were interrupted by the sound of bangs and smell of tear gas,” Arizona State Rep. Sarah Liguori, a Democrat, tweeted from inside the building. She added: “Protestors cleared from the Capitol.”
The demonstrations come after several Arizona abortion providers said they preemptively paused abortion services due to lack of legal clarity on the matter, according to posts on their websites.
Arizona State Rep. Justin Wilmeth, a Republican, tweeted that the legislators were working on a couple of policy items when they heard the protesters.
“As I heard it, some either banged on Senate windows or broke them and then DPS launched smoke bombs to disperse the crowds. Pure chaos for a bit,” Wilmeth tweeted.
