 On October 8th, thousands of people took to the streets across the US in defense of reproductive rights. The protests were part of a countrywide Women's Bay Day of Action, organized by the Women's March, a month before the midterm elections scheduled for November 8th. According to the Women's March, protests were held in more than 400 cities across the country. We called an action on October 8th in Foley Square, which is where the New York Supreme Court is. It was endorsed by several organizations. I myself am with Breaking the Chains magazine, which is a feminist and social magazine. We were the main organizers of the event. For those who aren't familiar, Breaking the Chains is a magazine produced by the Party for Socialism and Liberation. We were also joined by the People's Forum, an educational and cultural space here in New York City, the Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, New York, the Mayan Migrant Workers Association, and the Audre Lorde Project. The day I mentioned was, I think, an amazing display of force. It shows that people are not just accepting that Roe is overturned and there's nothing we can do about it. People have been taking to the streets for months and it shows that the momentum is still there. The U.S. has witnessed mass protests ever since the conservative Black Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade in June. The 1973 ruling had guaranteed a person's constitutional right to have an abortion. Research has shown that at least 66 abortion clinics in 15 U.S. states have been forced to stop providing the procedure since June. Abortions in most cases are now banned in at least 13 U.S. states owing to trigger laws that came into force as soon as Roe was outlawed. In other states, a fierce battle is being waged to protect abortion rights, not only in courts, but through grassroots community-led organizing and abortion funds. You know, I think it's important to just name outright that the attacks on abortion rights put lives at stake. By restricting and criminalizing abortion, our government is essentially condemning more women and trans people to potentially fatal health risks, physical and psychological trauma, incarceration and poverty. Statistics show that women who are forced to carry unwanted pregnancies are four times more likely to live under the poverty line, three times more likely to be unemployed. They're more likely to stay with abusive partners. They're more likely to experience pregnancy-related health risks, not only short-term but long-term health risks. Overall, this impacts the economic status of women, the health of women, the independence of women in this country. We have to understand this fight in its full scope. This has severe and immediate and painful consequences for people in this country, particularly working-class people. It's a misnomer to say that our opposition is pro-life when, right away, you see the dangers to our lives. And it's women of all ages, women of all races, trans people. I mean, there's a story of a 10-year-old rape survivor who had to cross state lines to get an abortion that would save her life. So, you know, this is what we're experiencing here. This is what's at stake. This is our reality. And so you can understand why people are not accepting this, right? They're not going to accept the fact that our government is trying to roll back progress, eviscerate rights that previous generations had put their bodies on the line for, had fought for and won. Through these actions, the Women's March emphasized the importance of electing candidates in next month's election who will protect abortion access. However, various movements which participated pointed to the dangers of focusing solely on electoral victories and campaigning for the Democratic Party. I think even though the orientation by the organization that called this National Day of Action may be to put an emphasis on the midterms and electing more pro-choice candidates, I think that people realize that ultimately will not be all that it takes. It's not enough to vote for the Democrats. As I said before, this battle doesn't begin and it won't end at the ballot. And it's necessary to hold both dominant political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats accountable for these attacks on abortion rights and our democracy. While Republicans are really in the far right sector of the ruling classes leading the charge in creating these repressive anti-abortion measures and legislation and using democratic institutions like the Supreme Court to hoard power and control, the Democrats have had so many opportunities to legalize abortion on a federal level and have not. It has been a conscious choice not to, right? They have control of the Congress, they have control of the White House and still they have not passed federal legislation. The Women's Health Protection Act in May, the Senate failed to pass that, that would have legalized abortion nationwide. It would not have continued to allow this issue to be decided by state governments. President Biden has the ability to declare a national public health emergency and use federal facilities to provide abortion access right now. So we are not going to fool ourselves into thinking that if we get the right kind of Democrats in office that this will change our situation, that this will change our material conditions. Roe was won through political struggle, it was won through a mass movement and that is going to be how we win back abortion rights. People carried posters and banners emphasizing the right to bodily autonomy and reproductive care. In Washington D.C. the crowds chanted, we won't go back as it marched through the city to the U.S. Capitol building. We have to stay in the streets and we have to continue to demand the following. And then to the filibuster, we have to demand that Roe be codified into law and abortion access be restored, that the Hyatt Amendment is repealed and abortion services are provided for poor and working class people and are fully funded. We demand that President Biden take action now, declare a national public health emergency, take executive action to provide abortion services and federal facilities. And ultimately we want abortion to be legalized in all 50 states once and for all. And we don't want to stop there. We want full reproductive justice for everyone. You know, the undeniable right to bodily autonomy and the ability to decide if when and how we have families and to have everything we need to raise those families safely and with dignity. So that means we want guaranteed quality housing, we want health care, we want childcare, we want education, employment, safety and more. The public is on our side, the people are on our side. Over 70% of Americans, regardless of party affiliation, support abortion rights. And you've seen all throughout the past few years in particular, that more and more people are supporting progressive policies are supporting policies that they believe will expand the rights and resources and overall quality of life of working class for the best people.