Rally outside Sen. Schumer's Prospect Park West home calls for protection of abortion rights

Schumer, like many other lawmakers, vowed Tuesday to protect abortion rights. But he stopped short of changes to the Senate filibuster rules to bypass opposition by Republicans.

News 12 Staff

May 4, 2022, 9:57 PM

Updated 943 days ago

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A rally calling for the protection of abortion rights took place outside Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer's home in Prospect Park West Wednesday night.
One protester told News 12 she feels violated to know that her rights are on the line and felt compelled to post up outside of Schumer's home.
Schumer, like many other lawmakers, vowed Tuesday to protect abortion rights. But he stopped short of changes to the Senate filibuster rules to bypass opposition by Republicans.
"We need to abolish the filibuster as protesters here have said. Bringing a vote when you know that it won’t pass because of the filibuster in place is performative. We need the filibuster in order to actually take real action. Two, we need to codify Roe at the federal level because if Roe is overturned, we need to ensure there are federal protections and we need to expand the court," said Elise Anderson, of Vote Mama.
The leaked draft appears to show that a majority of justices would be prepared to uphold a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks.
While Schumer denounced the Supreme Court's leaked draft decision that would overturn the nation's landmark Roe v. Wade, groups like Invisible Nation Brooklyn and Brooklyn Forge say Schumer needs to call a Senate vote to end the filibuster along with passing the Women's Health Protection Act following the leaked 100-page draft.
"If he’s saying and other members of the Democratic Caucus in the Senate are saying that they are committed to a woman’s right to choose then prove it. Schedule the vote, change the Senate rules to codify Roe v. Wade into law," said Liat Olenick, of Indivisible Nation Brooklyn.
Schumer is also calling on all Americans to fight what could be the Supreme Court's official ruling by calling on their elected officials, along with casting their ballots, as voters head into the 2022 midterm elections.
As womens reproductive rights take center stage, faith and religious groups from across the country have also sounded off on the issue. This includes Father David from St. Helena's Church in the Bronx.
"We're not downplaying the rights of others. Does a woman have a right to her body? Yes, but in her body is another human being, and I think we have to take into account both the rights of the mother, but also the rights of the child," he said.
While the Supreme Courts draft hasn’t been finalized, a reversal of Roe v. Wade would leave abortion policy up to individual states.
Many at the rally say they would like the right to choose to be fluid across the country.