The US Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion in a much-anticipated ruling. US President Biden speaks of a "tragic mistake" and numerous athletes are appalled - and warn of dire consequences.
Led by a horrified Megan Rapinoe, American and international athletes have spoken out on the Supreme Court's ban on abortion. "I wish we could talk about football today," the 36-year-old US soccer player said during a national team press conference. "It's hard to put into words how sad this day is for me and my teammates," she said, her voice faltering and on the verge of tears. "The cruelty is the point, because it's in no way per life. I have zero confidence that my rights will be upheld in court."
Tennis player Coco Gauff was also disappointed. "It feels like history is repeating itself," said the 18-year-old French Open finalist before the tennis highlight in Wimbledon. "I continue to encourage people to speak up and not feel discouraged because we can definitely make change and hopefully that will happen." The 22-year-old superstar Serena Williams did not want to comment on the subject before the start of the classic lawn.
Basketball superstar LeBron James shared some comments on Twitter about the decision and its impact on black women. The Los Angeles Lakers pro commented, "It's absolutely about power and control." The league bosses of the men's and women's NBA released a joint statement. Women should make their own decisions about their health and future. Freedom should be protected, they demanded. Formula 1 record world champion Lewis Hamilton, who is politically active in the fight for human rights and against oppression, was "disgusted" by the verdict. "This decision will be made by the weakest among us," said the 37-year-old Briton.
The Supreme Court on Friday overturned the right to abortion that had been in force in the United States for five decades: The court overturned the landmark judgment that had been in force since 1973 and that had made history with the designation "Roe v. Wade". This means that the individual states are now free to allow, restrict or ban abortion altogether. In the first few states, stricter abortion laws came into force immediately after the verdict.
US President Joe Biden has called the US Supreme Court's abortion ruling a "tragic error". The decision is based on an "extreme ideology" and has "taken away a constitutional right" from women in the United States, Biden said on Friday at the White House in Washington. "The health and lives of the women of this country are now at risk," the President warned. The ruling "is, in my view, the realization of an extreme ideology and a tragic error on the part of the Supreme Court," Biden said in his address.
