Activists Will Rally In Essex County After SCOTUS Abortion Decision

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — UPDATE: The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. Activists plan to hold a protest in South Orange on Friday evening. Read our updated article here; our original article follows below.

Activists are planning to hold an abortion rights rally in Essex County if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

According to organizers, the protest would take place at 6 p.m. on the day the court ruling is announced. It will take place at Spiotta Park, 20-32 Village Plaza in South Orange. Learn more here.

Abortion rights activists have been anxiously awaiting the court's opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the Mississippi case that could dismantle both Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling legalizing abortion, and Casey v. Planned Parenthood, a fetal viability case that affirmed Roe.

If the court overturns the decisions, it would leave it up to states to decide the future of abortion within their own borders.

If the court doesn't issue its opinion on Friday – as many expected – it could do so next week as the justices work through high-profile cases in their October-to-June term. Read More: Decision On Roe V. Wade Looms: When Will Supreme Court Issue Opinion?

In New Jersey, abortion access is protected by state law via the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act, which Gov. Phil Murphy signed earlier this year.

• See related article: NJ Abortion Law Sees Fierce Controversy; Here's What It Will Do
• See related article: Abortion Access Would Remain In New Jersey If Roe v. Wade Overturned

SOMA Action, one of the groups that is spearheading the rally in South Orange, released a statement about the protest:

“Sometime in the next few days, the Supreme Court will release its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the case challenging a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi. An early draft decision in this case, which was leaked last month, overturned Roe v. Wade entirely. Whether or not that is upheld in the final decision, a clear majority of the Supreme Court opposes reproductive freedom, and we don’t expect the news to be good. On the day the Dobbs decision is released, a number of organizations, including SOMA Action, THRIVE NJ, Planned Parenthood NJ, and others, are co-sponsoring a rally at 6 p.m. in Spiotta Park, South Orange. This is one of several rallies being planned around the state in support of reproductive justice and freedom.”

BlueWaveNJ also released a statement about the South Orange rally. Advocates wrote:

“On the evening the Supreme Court decision is released, overturning 50 years of precedent and taking away the constitutional right to abortion, we will stand in community and solidarity at Spiotta Park, South Orange, at 6 p.m. Bring your signs. Bring your voices. Bring your friends, family, and loved ones.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.