Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday that violence won’t be tolerated in the wake of the high court overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, which gave women a national right to abortion — but he stressed the First Amendment protects peaceful protesting.
He also encouraged Congress to codify Roe into law, saying restricting abortion in some states will impact minority and poor women the hardest.
“The Supreme Court has eliminated an established right that has been an essential component of women’s liberty for half a century – a right that has safeguarded women’s ability to participate fully and equally in society,” he said.