Women’s March planning White House sit-in to push for abortion rights

Women’s March says it is planning to hold a sit-in at the White House on Saturday to push the Biden administration to protect abortion access.

The civil rights organization announced plans for what it refers to as a “mass action” which will include a rally and march to the White House followed by a sit-in.

“Women’s March members and protestors will risk arrest to get our message over to President Biden: protect abortion,” Women’s March said in a statement.

The sit-in is scheduled to begin at noon.

Women’s March Executive Director Rachel O’Leary Carmona called on the administration to “declare a public health emergency on abortion, codify reproductive rights through executive action, and expand the court.”

Immediately after the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, Women’s March called for a “summer of rage” in response to the limits and bans on abortions that were quickly introduced by states across the country.

“Our summer of rage has just begun. We’ll see you in the streets,” Women’s March said at the time.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

While the Biden administration has vowed to ensure abortion access, the exact pathways through which it can act remains unclear.

President Biden has previously called for the protections from Roe to be codified into law, even suggesting that an exception to the filibuster be carved out to accomplish this, but such a bill is unlikely gain enough support in Congress.

Two Democrats in the Senate, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, oppose changes to the filibuster.