Supreme Court hearing on abortion pill is accompanied by protests

Accompanied by protests, a hearing has begun at the US Supreme Court on access restrictions to the abortion pill mifepristone. The case is considered one of the most important current abortion cases in the United States. Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Supreme Court in the US capital Washington on Tuesday morning (local time). Opponents of abortion and representatives of the pro-choice movement, which advocates for women’s freedom of choice, tried to drown each other out with chants. The mood was a bit heated, but initially it remained calm.

Mifepristone was approved in the United States in 2000 and is often used in combination with the drug misoprostol for abortion. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is a reliable drug. Opponents of abortion have filed a lawsuit against the approval of mifepristone. They want to make access to medical abortion more difficult. Nearly two years ago, the Supreme Court with its conservative majority overturned the nation’s right to abortion. As a result, state parliaments can legislate whether abortions are permitted. If the courts limit access to mifepristone, this will also have consequences for states where abortion is allowed.

“People should have the opportunity to decide for themselves what is best for them at any given time,” 60-year-old protester Jennifer said in court on Tuesday. She hopes the Supreme Court will conclude that the FDA is a competent body of experts and makes decisions based on science. However, 25-year-old abortion opponent Savannah Rose Deterich said, “I believe the right to life is the most important of all human rights and it is the most precious gift we have been given.” (hkl/sda/dpa)