19 powerful images from yesterday’s Women’s March for abortion rights

Written by Lauren Geall

As Stylist’s digital writer, Lauren Geall writes on topics including mental health, wellbeing and work. She’s also a big fan of houseplants and likes to dabble in film and TV from time-to-time.

Protestors took to the streets across the US and in London to challenge the introduction of new laws in Texas that restrict abortion access after six weeks of pregnancy.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the US yesterday in support of abortion rights, led by their opposition to a new law in Texas that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy – before many women know they’re pregnant.

The Women’s March – which is the first such event of the Biden administration – saw protestors march in all 50 US states to demand access to safe and legal abortion. Protestors also marched on the streets of London in solidarity.

The event comes ahead of the start of a new term for the US Supreme Court, which will see the (majority conservative) judges rule on a case that threatens to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade case which protects the right to abortion until viability, usually at about 28 weeks into a pregnancy.

Without Roe v Wade, protestors fear that many states will follow in the footsteps of Texas, forcing women to travel hundreds of miles to seek healthcare, something that will be inaccessible to many.

“This is kind of a break-glass moment for folks all across the country,” Rachel O’Leary Carmona, the executive director of Women’s March, told the BBC. “Many of us grew up with the idea that abortion would be legal and accessible for all of us. Seeing that at very real risk has been a moment of awakening.”

As usual, one of the defining features of yesterday’s march was the signs carried by protestors, which painted a picture of the battle women are currently facing. Keep scrolling to check out some of the most powerful pictures from yesterday’s event.