The arrested protesters sat down in the middle of an intersection and interrupted traffic near the National Mall. Capitol Police said it had given the group three warnings before the 181 arrests were made. Those arrested were charged with crowding, obstructing, or incommoding the intersection, the Capitol Police told the Washington Examiner.
Politicians, pro-abortion rights activists, and people from Hollywood were among those who opposed the recent Supreme Court ruling that repealed the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade and returned the issue of abortion back to the states. Freaks and Geeks actress Busy Philipps was among those detained, according to a tweet from VICE. Philipps told the House Judiciary Committee in 2019 that she had an abortion and has been a vocal advocate of abortion access since.
TECH GIANTS JOIN FORCES WITH DHS IN HERCULEAN BATTLE AGAINST CHILD EXPLOITATION
Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) also seemed to have been suspended at the protest, as shown in videos. Chu's team did not reply to the Washington Examiner's request for comment. Chu did confirm her presence at the protest on social media, sharing videos of the protest on Twitter, along with supportive messages.
HORRIFIC FOOTAGE EMERGES: FRANTIC RESCUE EFFORTS AFTER RUSSIAN MISSILES HIT UKRAINIAN CITY (WATCH)
"Proud to join activists and community leaders today to say loud and clear — we WON’T back down. We will NOT go back. #bansoffourbodies," the congresswoman tweeted.
HIGH-STAKES SUMMIT: G7 MULLS SANCTIONS ON IRAN, WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT?
The protest came on the last day of the Supreme Court's current term, which was filled with high-profile rulings, including the Roe reversal and orders in favor of gun rights and religion in public schools.
President Joe Biden said he backed codifying abortion protections as outlined in the original Roe ruling and called on Congress to pass laws protecting access to abortions.
WATCH: NEWT GINGRICH'S APPROACH TO "DEATH TO AMERICA" CHANTS
"The most important thing to be clear about is we have to change. I believe we codify Roe v. Wade in the law, and the way to do that is to make sure Congress votes to do that," Biden said on Thursday, according to CBS News. "If the filibuster gets in the way, it's like voting rights: It should be — we provide an exception for this. We require an exception to the filibuster for this action."
WATCH: THIS IS HAPPENING HERE IN PLAIN SIGHT
Roughly eight Americans in 10 support abortion rights and opposed the reversal of Roe v. Wade before the Friday ruling, a belief that was bolstered after a draft of the opinion leaked in May. Still, many who took to the streets said the ruling had left them initially stunned as they realized the sweeping change that is about to overtake much of the nation.
UNTHINKABLE IMPACT: ISS DEBRIS STRIKES FLORIDA RESIDENCE, NASA LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION
Victoria Varga, a 28-year-old logistics worker, drove to downtown Chicago, joining a crowd of some 3,000 marchers with her fiancé, Rob Fishman, a 30-year-old sales professional. Carrying a sign that read “Seriously, My Mom Already Marched For This,” Ms. Varga said her first response to the news of the ruling was to call her mother.
Discover alternative ideas that will make you think
Engage in mind bending debate
Earn points, rise in rank, have fun
