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Big turnout expected at abortion rights rallies in Seattle and across the U.S.

caption: Fiorella Flores, center, a student at The Catholic University of America, joins demonstrators in protest outside of the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in Washington.
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Fiorella Flores, center, a student at The Catholic University of America, joins demonstrators in protest outside of the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in Washington.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Tomorrow is a national day of action for supporters of abortion rights, and the rally at Seattle's Cal Anderson Park is expected to draw thousands of people.

"Bans Off Our Bodies" rallies Saturday will sprawl across Seattle, Boise, Portland and numerous cities nationwide in the wake of a leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that made abortions legal nationwide.

Organizers of Saturday's rallies say they want to visibly show what public polling already indicates — the majority of Americans polled think abortions should be legal in certain circumstances.

Christina Lopez, a rally organizer in Seattle and a member of the feminist group Radical Women, pointed out that the court that originally voted in favor of Roe v. Wade was dominated by conservatives.

"There was a strong feminist movement back in the early 70s where women were out in the streets fighting for their rights," Lopez said, "and right now we're in the same situation."

The rally is supported by several groups, including Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates.

Meanwhile, abortion rights opponents in Washington are celebrating after the majority of U.S. Senators voted "No" this week on legislation that would have enshrined abortion access into federal law.

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