7 News Boston | ‘We need to treat this like the national emergency it is’: Pro-choice supporters gather on steps of Mass. State House after Roe v Wade reversal
By Bryan Lambert, Kimberly Bookman
Story Originally Appeared in 7 News Boston
BOSTON (WHDH) - While abortions will remain legal in Massachusetts for the immediate future in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, pro-choice supporters gathered on the steps of State House Friday to voice their displeasure with a SCOTUS decision that they say will still negatively impact the Commonwealth.
“We need to treat this like the national emergency it is,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “We are not going back. Not now, not ever.”
While Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts has increased in-clinic and telehealth services in anticipation of the reversal, the state’s health system could still come under strain, according to Dr. Nate Horwitz-Willis, an official with the organization.
“Massachusetts could see a surge of patients coming to us ,” said Horwitz-Willis. “Coming to us for care and putting a strain on our existing health care services.”
Others, like Rebecca Hart Holder, the executive director of Reproductive Equity Now, viewed the decision as the first domino to fall in a long line of civil liberties.
“The goal is to outlaw birth control,” said Hart Holder. “To overturn same sex marriage. This is not the end.”
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu choked out a somber prophecy of the future in between tears.
“It is heartbreaking to see us in a day where my kids and their generation may not know better than before potentially,” Wu managed.
Attorney General Maura Healey professed the strengths of Massachusetts, proclaiming her intention to make it a safe harbor for those seeking medical treatment.
“We’re gonna make sure that no one is investigated, no one is harassed, no agencies or law enforcement are turning over personal information,” sad Healy to a chorus of applause and cheers.
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