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Outside the Supreme Court, demonstrators gathered to protest against a case challenging the distribution of medication abortion, questioning why women’s reproductive rights are still being debated after so many years of fighting. Many of the protesters, such as Susan, an 85-year-old from North Carolina who has been advocating for women’s rights for decades, expressed frustration at the ongoing battle over abortion rights and the resemblance to the dystopian future depicted in “The Handmaid’s Tale.” The case in question, FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, centered on the FDA’s regulation of mifepristone, a commonly used abortion medication, and whether recent changes have been too lenient.

Reproductive rights advocates at the protest outside the court highlighted the importance of protecting access to mifepristone, with some using creative methods to make their point. Mira Michels, a researcher with Aid Access, showcased a robot that dispensed the medication and even consumed a pill herself as a demonstration of its safety and effectiveness. The dialogue inside the courtroom reflected skepticism towards the conservative group’s arguments, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson questioning the broad scope of the potential remedy sought by the doctors’ group. However, Justice Clarence Thomas invoked the Comstock Act, an old law prohibiting the mailing of contraceptives, as a potential means to restrict abortion access.

For long-time advocates like Dona Dickinson, who participated in spelling out “PRO ROE” with other women at the protest, the connection between the GOP’s efforts to limit mifepristone access and its broader deregulation agenda was cause for concern. She worried about the dismantling of protections for the environment and reproductive rights, viewing it as a dangerous trend. Jennifer, another protester who had not been to the Supreme Court before, expressed fear at the implications of restricting abortion access and felt compelled to speak out, despite feeling the protest might not receive substantial media coverage.

Amidst the concerns and frustrations expressed by protesters, Susan, the 85-year-old activist, offered words of encouragement and urged younger generations to continue fighting for abortion rights. She emphasized the importance of persistence and unity in advocating for change, noting that religion does not solely belong to conservatives. Susan shared her Christian perspective on when life begins and highlighted the need for ongoing activism and advocacy to protect women’s rights and access to reproductive healthcare. Despite the challenges and setbacks faced by abortion rights advocates, Susan’s message of hope and determination resonated with those gathered to defend women’s rights outside the Supreme Court.

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