Democratic presidential candidates rallied on the steps of the Supreme Court Tuesday against a rash of state abortion bans they say have been encouraged by President Trump and his administration.
“This is the beginning of President Trump’s war on women,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) at the “Stop the bans” rally promoting abortion rights hosted by Planned Parenthood Action Fund and NARAL Pro-Choice America.
{mosads}A large crowd of abortion rights protestors held signs reading “abortion is a human right” and “protect safe, legal abortion” as attendees loudly cheered on Gillibrand and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
Women are being treated as “second class citizens under Trump” and are “being ignored,” Gillibrand said, adding Democrats will flip the Senate and win the White House with the help of abortions rights supporters.
Booker and Gillibrand have made abortion rights a central part of their campaigns in recent days after Alabama’s Republican governor signed an abortion ban with no exemptions for cases of rape or incest. They are among the candidates who support a push to pass a law enshrining abortion rights.
Trump distanced himself from the Alabama bill over the weekend, tweeting that he supports exemptions.
Still, Democrats running for president view the issue as a winning one that could galvanize female voters in 2020.
“We will not stand for this attack on human rights,” Booker said to cheers from protestors.
Booker compared the fight over state abortion bans to the civil rights movement, saying people must ’take to the streets.”
”We see people trying to take us backward, but we must go forward,” Booker said, reiterating a campaign promise to pass federal legislation protection access to abortion.
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who is running for president also spoke. Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Ind., did not speak but stopped by the rally to take pictures with supporters. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), another candidate for president, made a brief appearance, but didn’t address the crowd.
“Abortion is health care, it is a woman’s constitutional right, and people in every state in this counry are ready to defend that right,” Sanders tweeted during the rally.
“Together, we are going to #StopTheBans and end the attacks on women’s rights.”