See the signs from San Francisco’s rally for abortion rights

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Hundreds of people rallied in San Francisco and Oakland on Tuesday to support abortion rights and express outrage over the United States Supreme Court draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade.

While the Supreme Court decision is not final, hundreds of people took to the streets to protest the very real possibility that the precedent protecting abortion access could be struck down.

Attendees from the abortion rights rally show off their homemade signs inside the Civic Center BART station, in San Francisco, on May 3, 2022.

Photo courtesy of Brandon Mercer

A throng of people flooded the plaza at SF’s Phillip Burton Federal Building at 450 Golden Gate Ave., where speakers included Mayor London Breed, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Planned Parenthood Northern California CEO Gilda Gonzales.

“I can say here in California, we’re going to do everything we can to protect everyone: providers and patients,” Gonzales said.

Protestors rally in support of abortion rights near the Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, in San Francisco, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.

Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE

Rosamaria Cavalho holds a sign during a protest following the leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court majority opinion that would overturn the landmark abortion ruling Roe v. Wade at the Phillip Burton Federal Building on May 3, 2022 in San Francisco, California. "I'm in solidarity with all the women who are out here, particularly brown and black women. I'm here to fight for our rights," said Cavalho. The San Francisco rally was organized by the National Mobilization for Reproductive Justice San Francisco. — Rosamaria Cavalho holds a sign during a protest following the leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court majority opinion that would overturn the landmark abortion ruling Roe v. Wade at the Phillip Burton Federal Building on May 3, 2022 in San Francisco, California. “I’m in solidarity with all the women who are out here, particularly brown and black women. I’m here to fight for our rights,” said Cavalho. The San Francisco rally was organized by the National Mobilization for Reproductive Justice San Francisco.

The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Im

Alexandra Murphy, of Oakland, dresses as former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg while attending a protest outside of the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in response to the leak of a draft opinion on a potential Supreme Court vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Jessica Christian/AP

People rallied in Oakland and San Francisco to support abortion rights, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Images via Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE & via AP)
People rallied in Oakland and San Francisco to support abortion rights, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Images via Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE & via AP)

Nancy Kato is one of the leaders of National Mobilization for Reproductive Justice, a group that organized rallies across the country including the one in San Francisco.

“We have to protest because we may lose the legalized right to abortion,” Kato said. “But you don’t even have to support abortion to be outraged. What we’re trying to educate people on is that it’s about more than abortion, it’s an attack on civil liberties. The right wing has been working for decades to get to this point. They’re already going after voting rights. Plus you have legislation against trans children, really? We see this as all being connected.”

Amy P., who didn't want to provide her last name, of San Francisco, attends a protest about the Supreme Court's decision to overthrow Roe v. Wade while standing outside the Phillip Burton Federal Building on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in San Francisco. — Amy P., who didn’t want to provide her last name, of San Francisco, attends a protest about the Supreme Court’s decision to overthrow Roe v. Wade while standing outside the Phillip Burton Federal Building on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in San Francisco.

Yalonda M. James/AP

Martha Kreeger is overcome with emotion while standing alongside abortion rights activists and supporters during a protest outside of the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in response to the leak of a draft opinion on a potential Supreme Court vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Jessica Christian/AP

Kato said that her group has been preparing for this, and the leaked decision is giving people an opportunity to organize and build a movement.

“It took a movement to win Roe,” she said.

An older woman holds a sign reading "I Remember" as pro-abortion rights protesters gather in large numbers in front of the Phillip Burton Federal Building to defend abortion rights in San Francisco on May 3, 2022. — An older woman holds a sign reading “I Remember” as pro-abortion rights protesters gather in large numbers in front of the Phillip Burton Federal Building to defend abortion rights in San Francisco on May 3, 2022.

NICK OTTO/AFP via Getty Images

After the speakers, the crowd walked down Market Street to the Castro.

“We marched to the Castro for a reason last night … gay marriage, contraception … it’s all under attack,” Kato said.

Protesters rally in support of abortion rights near the Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, in San Francisco, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.

Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE

The Alameda Labor Council led a rally at Oakland’s Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building on Tuesday evening.

“If Roe is overturned, the impact would fall hardest on low-wage women, women of color, immigrants and other vulnerable groups,” the council said in a statement. “The direct link between this unprecedented attack on women’s core freedoms and the ongoing assault on working people threatens the fabric of democracy. Leaders will call for a renewed commitment to building a truly intersectional movement to fight these attacks — in the streets and at the ballot box — to preserve our fundamental rights.”

Abortion-rights activists and supporters protest outside of the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in response to the leak of a draft opinion on a potential Supreme Court vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Jessica Christian/AP

Signs from the rally in support of abortion rights, in San Francisco, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Images courtesy of Marc Paschke and via AP)
Signs from the rally in support of abortion rights, in San Francisco, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. (Images courtesy of Marc Paschke and via AP)

The draft, first issued by Politico, was written by Justice Samuel Alito and says abortion is not a right protected by the United States Constitution, sending full control of abortion policy to the states.

While California protects abortion access, 13 states are poised to ban abortion immediately or very quickly, the New York Times said. California is considering a state constitutional amendment that would enshrine a right to abortion and “abortion sanctuary laws” that would make it easier for residents seeking abortions in conservative states to travel to California for the procedure.