As the Supreme Court continues dismantling our rights, organizers in Pennsylvania hosted a rally today of neighbors, teachers, students, advocates, workers, and community leaders to call on Congress to Stop this Supreme Court’s Relentless Power Grab and fix the Court
Media from the rally can be found here.
WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA —Today, Sunday April 21, Pennsylvanians came together at a rally in Public Square in Wilkes-Barre to call for Congress to fix the Supreme Court. Neighbors, teachers, students, advocates, workers, and community leaders rallied to raise awareness around how the broken Supreme Court has eliminated our right to abortion, made it harder to prevent school shootings, allowed massive corporations to pollute our air and water, helped politicians suppress people’s votes, and so much more — all while accepting lavish ‘gifts’ from their billionaire donors.
Anxieties surrounding the Supreme Court are quickly becoming a kitchen table issue for voters during this election cycle. According to a recent poll, 60 percent of Americans disapprove of the Supreme Court’s actions. The court’s approval rating has not risen higher than 47 percent since overturning Roe v. Wade.
At the rally, local voices shared their stories about the impact that Supreme Court decisions have had on their families and communities, and called on Congress to fix the Court. Speakers also shared what Pennsylvanians can do in this important year to take power back. People joined from Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Bloomsburg, Hazleton, and all over northeastern Pennsylvania.
“I’m here because I survived, and because my father didn’t. I’m here because his death was preventable, and with the right gun sense legislation implemented and upheld at the state and federal levels, he might have survived. We need to talk more about how this Supreme Court is working to limit the government’s ability to reduce gun violence through gun-sense legislation,” said Billie Tadros, a gun violence survivor and volunteer for Moms Demand Action Pennsylvania.
“When my child came out to me several years ago, I made a promise — a promise to do everything in my power to try to make the world safer. That is why I am here today,” said Kristina Culver, LBTQIA social advocate. “Last year the Court sided with discrimination — they sided with a business that didn’t want to provide services to a queer couple. What does that say to our queer children? We know that this Court does not care about precedents. They are furthering their own agenda. We will not be silent. We will not stand by while our queer children, friends, families, and neighbors are stripped of their rights.”
“Our rights and freedoms are being challenged,” said Claudette Williams, a 30-year Army veteran. “We must fight back and stand up. I want my daughters to be able to make personal decisions about their bodies without anyone interfering. That’s why we’re standing together and telling the Supreme Court we will not accept their power grab.”