Europe 1 with AFP 9:51 p.m., July 2, 2022

6,500 people demonstrated across France this Saturday to defend the right to abortion and support American women, after the Supreme Court's decision to revoke the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy.

The demonstrators fear that "countries are inspired by the United States to deny this fundamental right".

Rallies of several hundred protesters each took place in France on Saturday to defend the right to abortion and provide support for American women, after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn what many considered a given.

1,500 demonstrators in Paris, 6,500 throughout France

At the head of the Parisian procession, Suzy Rojtman, member of the collective "Abortion in Europe - Women decide", evokes a "shock wave".

She fears that given "the importance of the United States in the world", the right to abortion is regressing "everywhere" and that "countries are inspired by the United States to deny this fundamental right".

Still in Paris, where some 1,500 people marched according to the Ministry of the Interior, a 16-year-old girl, Thaïs, holds up a sign "130 abortion centers have closed in 15 years" in France.

She worries about a "snowball effect".

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The United States Supreme Court on June 24 ended the federal legal guarantee of abortion nationwide.

It is now up to the 50 states to decide on abortion.

Half of them, according to the Guttmacher Institute, have already banned it or are considering doing so.

"Abortion saves lives"

Hangers painted red at arm's length, the demonstrators, including men and many very young women, marched singing "From New York to Paris, free and free abortion" or "The abortion, we s' is beaten to win it, we will fight to keep it".

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"The abortion saves lives", "Keep your laws off my body" (Take your laws off my body), "Leave the women alone for once", could we read on the placards of the participants.

Many were written in English.

And also "we want abortion in the Constitution", in reference to the bills to include this right in the French Constitution.

Organized at the call of the collective "Abortion in Europe - Women decide", joined by many feminist associations, unions and political parties, around thirty demonstrations brought together a total of some 6,500 people in France, according to the Ministry of Interior.