Aviva Fried (Correspondence in Missouri) edited by Wassila Belhacine
Missouri becomes the first US state to ban abortion, just hours after the Supreme Court’s decision to let each US state decide. Abortion is now prohibited in Missouri even in cases of rape or incest. The question divides the inhabitants of this state, of the western United States. Europe 1 went to meet them.
A divided society
A handful of protesters gathered outside the Planned Parenthood building in St. Louis, Missouri. Lola, in her twenties, a pair of sunglasses on her nose, holds up a sign that declares “My body, my choice”. This choice no longer exists in Missouri, which becomes the first state to ban abortion, even in cases of rape or incest. “I’m scared, I’m worried. A woman could be raped and she will be forced to have the child”, explains Lola at the microphone of Europe 1.
Sam Lee has been campaigning for 40 years against abortion. This lobbyist, with a well-trimmed gray beard, also came before family planning. Between two interviews with media around the world, he savors a victory he no longer expected: “I did not expect the Court to revoke Roe Vs Wade, but they did. And now we will go state by state to protect unborn children and help their mothers.”
Illinois, next on the list?
Twenty minutes by car from there, on the other side of the Mississippi, another state, Illinois, is like another world. Abortion is still legal there. Brian Westbrook, founder of the Coalition for Life, intends to make him bend: “We are targeting the 29 abortion centers in Illinois. How can there be an impact? We can really change the culture in Illinois “.
The Supreme Court’s decision has galvanized both sides and it is expected to weigh on next November’s election.