Rage Against The Machine have shared a statement speaking out in support of abortion rights, following a leaked draft from the Supreme Court privately voting to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The landmark decision was voted on by the US Supreme Court in 1973, a ruling that made abortion legal on a federal level in the US.
However, earlier this week (May 2), Politico obtained a leaked initial draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito that suggested the court is prepared to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Since then, Chief Justice John Roberts has confirmed the authenticity of the document, but has said the draft “does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case”.
Draft opinions can be subject to multiple drafts and vote-trading, sometimes until just days before they are shared, so the court’s decision is not final. If the court goes through with overturning the landmark case, however, abortion would no longer be protected as a federal right in the US, and each state would be able to decide individually whether to restrict or ban abortion.
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— Rage Against The Machine (@RATMofficial) May 6, 2022
Joining a chorus of entertainment figures speaking out on the issue, Rage Against The Machine shared a statement in support of abortion rights earlier today (May 6). “Rage Against The Machine stands in support of reproductive justice and will continue to fight against any attempts to restrict or control reproductive freedoms,” it read.
“Criminalising access to abortion will only add to the suffering disproportionately felt by poor, BIPOC and undocumented communities.”
The band continued: “The constant rightward shift of both major parties should alarm us all – a wake up call that we desperately need to organise radical people power against a warfare state that continues its assault on people’s lives.”
Last night (May 5), Lorde also addressed the issue at her LA show, giving a lengthy speech about the possible loss of abortion rights in the country. “Like so many of you, I’ve been sickened and heartbroken this week by the news that there are some people who think that our bodies are not our own,” she said.
“And I still don’t have the words to talk about this with you. It’s so big and so heavy. I think it’s OK to freeze for a little bit, you know, and then you re-engage. But, what I’m trying to say is I have some big, heavy shit that I am working through that I am feeling.”
RATM and Lorde’s comments follow the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Garbage, Questlove and more speaking out about the US Supreme Court’s private vote.
Olivia Rodrigo also discussed the subject during a recent gig in Washington D.C., telling her fans: “Our bodies should never be in the hands of politicians. I hope we can raise our voices to protect our right, to have a safe abortion, which is a right that so many people before us have worked so hard to get.”
