Protesters gather in Boston after Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade

BOSTON – Hundreds of people demonstrated in Boston Friday night in opposition of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Protesters rallied at Park Street Station before marching through Boston to Copley Square. 

The Copley Square protest shut down a section of Boylston Street. After a passionate presentation of speakers here, they marched to the State House, filling the street and blocking all traffic.

State lawmakers can now determine access to abortion after the Supreme Court’s historic decision Friday. In response, Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order to protect access to reproductive health care services in Massachusetts. 

Some protesters expressed their grave concerns that this isn’t the end of some rights, but only the beginning.

“This is the first time we’ve kind of backtracked on a constitutional right,” said Marisa Crandall of Boston.

The right to reproductive health care and abortions are now in question in this country. Twenty-five-year-old Samantha Sanpietro has never known a time where women couldn’t choose what to do with their body, making the Supreme Court decision she says extremely frightening.

“It’s the right to privacy. The right to freedom,” Sanpietro said. “It is personal because my life, my future can be changed by someone who doesn’t know my story.”

Cambridge resident Sue Hyde remembers what it was like before Roe v. Wade went into effect in 1973.

“It was frightening. It was life threatening. It was anxiety-provoking, and we cannot go back there,” Hyde said. “Back in that day, women who didn’t have a lot of money went to back alley abortionists who did or didn’t know what they were doing. Plenty of them died.”

That’s why these women are using their fear and voice to fight back.

“Today is definitely a day to feel a little bit scared and a little bit hurt and I think it’s hard,” Crandall said. “You have to stay optimistic but it’s really about the next steps.”