In Wake of Leaked Opinion, Students Protest in Support of Abortion Rights

UCSD Action and the Triton Lobby Corps (TLC), two student activism groups, organized a pair of demonstrations on Library Walk just outside Geisel Library on May 6 and May 10 to demonstrate support for abortion rights.

These protests took place following a leaked draft opinion from Politico suggesting that the Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the case that protects constitutional rights to abortion. The draft opinion written by Chief Justice Samuel Alito states, “The Constitution makes no reference to abortion” and “We, therefore, hold that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion.” A day after the leak, Justice John Roberts confirmed the authenticity of the draft opinion in a press release but stated, “it does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case.”

Well over 100 protesters came out to each rally where they shared their demands of the University and discussed the issue.

Meghan Traynor, a second year studying Sociocultural Anthropology and World Literature and Culture and co-founder of a newly formed student activism group, UCSD Action, helped organize the May 6 rally and told The Triton, “What we want from [the University] is making abortion more accessible for students on campus as well as starting a nationwide campaign to advocate for the right to abortion across the country.”

Several students from UC San Diego’s chapter of Medical Students for Choice also protested at the May 6 rally for increased educational content about abortion to be included in UCSD’s curriculum.

UCSD Action’s protest on May 6 ended with a march to the Chancellor’s Complex where students demanded to speak with Chancellor Pradeep Khosla on the issue. The Chancellor never exited the complex and has yet to release a statement as of the time this article was published.

Michael Tesis, a fourth year studying Political Science/Public Law and Biological Anthropology and the executive director of Triton Lobby Corps, told The Triton that his group demands that both Chancellor Khosla and the University of California President Michael Drake issue statements acknowledging the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade.

On May 18, UC President Drake issued a statement at the UC Regents board meeting, which read, in part, “We at the University of California believe that all people should have access to the full range of affordable and convenient healthcare of their choosing, including reproductive health services. We believe in the right to privacy. We will do all we can to ensure that these basic rights are preserved here in California.”

Triton Lobby Corps also demanded that University of California Health divest from Catholic hospitals that refuse to perform abortions due to religious reasons. According to the Daily Bruin, UC Health currently contracts with Catholic hospitals to expand access to care in underserved communities. An amendment that was passed in June 2021 by the University of California Board of Regents ends affiliations with any hospitals that offer discriminatory care by the end of 2023, but Triton Lobby Corps hopes to see these ties cut immediately.

Throughout each rally, speakers shared their perspectives on the issue and their own experiences with abortion. A specific focus was placed on the disproportionate impact that black, brown, and poor people will face if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

At Triton Lobby Corps’ protest on May 10, speakers explained that pregnant people will continue to seek abortions and face the possibility of using unsafe methods to terminate pregnancy if abortion is outlawed.

Speaker Kaylinh Nguyen shared, “I know I am not the only one who would look a wire hanger in the eye and use it as my last resort. So if Roe is overturned, I know that people will die … trying to save their dreams.”

Protesters at the rally marched throughout campus chanting, “Stop policing my body”, “Their body, their choice”, and “The patriarchy has got to go” as they walked through Price Center and inside the on campus Target, effectively shutting down the store for a few minutes.

Students also held signs, including some that read “No uterus no opinion”, “Pro-life? What about my life?”, “Keep abortion legal”, and, “Laws off my body.”

The group then marched south on Library Walk before heading east on Gilman Drive. After demonstrators turned south on Villa La Jolla Drive, they briefly stopped before the VA Medical Center pedestrian bridge to hold a moment of silence for individuals who have lost their lives while trying to get an abortion.

The UC San Diego Police Department (UCPD) followed the march from a distance and blocked traffic while the group marched from La Jolla Village Drive to Gilman Drive.

Numerous drivers honked in support of the demonstration as protesters marched toward the Old Student Center.

The march ended at the Sun God statue where organizers gave closing statements before thanking protesters for rallying with them.

A plainclothes San Diego Police Department detective monitored the entirety of the demonstration, but no arrests were made and no citations were given.

A debrief was held at Geisel Library that night where organizers collaborated with protesters to reflect on the demonstration, refine their demands, and organize future events.

Dates and more details on future demonstrations are expected to be announced on the @ucsdaction and @ucsd_tlc Instagram accounts in the coming days.

Liam Winstead is a Staff Writer for The Triton

This article was updated at 2:55pm on May 20 to include a recently-released statement made by University of California President Michael V. Drake.