by Mia Madonna
This story was originally published on New York University’s Washington Square News.
Around 70 NYU students walked out of their classes in support of abortion rights in a protest organized as part of the Day of Student Action for Reproductive Justice, which involved demonstrations at 51 other universities across 27 states. Students called for access to abortions and contraception, gender-affirming health care and improved sex education.
This nationwide push for reproductive rights is in response to the failure of Democrats in Congress to eliminate the filibuster, which could have codified Roe v. Wade, the federal right to an abortion that was overturned on June 24, into law. YDSA’s national chapter and the Graduate Student Action Network, an advocacy coalition of graduate students at more than 50 universities across the country, coordinated the national protests.
Some participants wrote phrases in chalk including “your body is the battle ground” and “abortion is freedom” near the Washington Square Arch. Members of NYU’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, which organized the protest at NYU, also collected signatures from students for letters outlining their concerns about NYU’s insurance provider, Wellfleet, which does not fully cover elective abortions. They plan to send the letters to Karen Matys, Wellfleet’s chief operating officer.
Read the rest of the story at Washington Square News.