Promise of a “sanctuary” for abortion, from New York to California

From New York to California, leaders, doctors or citizens promise to “fight” so that their democratic states “sanctuaries” guarantee the right to legal and safe abortion for hundreds of thousands of women each year.

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In New York State, the fourth largest city in the country (20 million inhabitants), classified on the left by the weight of its megalopolis, politicians and health professionals have been preparing to bury the right to interrupt voluntary pregnancies for weeks. Supreme Court of the United States.

And in this democratic state in the Northeast, an influx of patients is now expected from the traditional states in the south and center of the country, some of whom have banned immediate abortions on their soil on Fridays.

“We know the demand will increase exponentially,” said Sarah Moller, a health expert at the Bridget Alliance Association, which pays for travel, accommodation and accommodation and financially supports modest women who need an abortion.

Her community helps hundreds of women each month, and M.A.^Me Moller now estimates that “hundreds of thousands of people will have to flee their states for abortion-related health care.”

Alice Mark, a doctor and consultant to the National Abortion Federation in Massachusetts, also wondered “what happens to all these people in the 26 states where abortion is partially or completely banned.”

According to her, 300,000 abortions take place each year in all these traditional states, such as Louisiana, Missouri or Oklahoma.

As in Massachusetts – even though its governor is Republican and abortion is expensive there – Ms Mark “states like Illinois” by hiring more staff and day and night. They hope to make their clinics more accessible by opening over the weekend.

After shocking the Supreme Court decision, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul was the first politician to denounce the “withdrawal of the rights of millions of American women” and promised to “invest $ 35 million to facilitate health care services for abortion.”

“Our state will always be a haven for those who want to have an abortion,” the Democrats promised in a rally in Manhattan on Friday evening.

“This is crazy! We went back 100 years […] It is insane that we continue to fight for this, ”said Brandy Michad.

In Brooklyn on Friday morning, several women interviewed by AFP had already expressed their “regret” and their “anger”.

But while 21-year-old Lily Bernstein wondered about her desire to “be a part of this country”, 36-year-old Nabila Valentin, on the contrary, said she was happy to live in New York State. [elle] [s]It seems[t] Safe and [s]His rights will be protected. “

On the other side of the United States, the governors of three “progressive” West Coast states – Gavin Newsome of California, Kate Brown of Oregon, and Jay Inceley of Washington State – are “engaged” in a joint statement “to protect contraceptive access.” Health care, including abortion.

“More than half of the country – 33.6 million women (10% of the American population, editor’s note) – lamented abortion. [soit] It is no longer illegal or inaccessible. “The three states have to release $ 152 million in aid.

Community and religious groups also campaign for the right to abortion.

Like the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) in the federal capital, Washington, it “created the Jewish Abortion Access Fund in partnership with the National Federation for Abortion,” its president Sheila Katz told AFP.

She also hopes the Northeast Democratic states will be a “sanctuary” for women: “because it is imperative that people stay close to abortion”.

M.^Me Katz “I will continue [se] Fight so that everyone can make their own decision with a clear conscience about their body, their life, their future. Who she is and where she lives.