Hundreds in Arizona rally against reinstatement of 1864 abortion ban

Hundreds of people took to the streets on Sunday in downtown Scottsdale in Arizona after the western U.S. state's Supreme Court reinstated a near-total abortion ban from 1864 on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

The 160-year-old ban outlawed abortion from the moment of conception, with an exception to save the woman's life, making the battle over abortion rights in the deeply divisive state a national election issue.

The demonstrators held up signs on Sunday that read "Stop The Abortion Ban," "My Body, My Choice," "You Don't Own Me" and other slogans to protest against the ban's implementation.

Shay, a high school student participating in the rally, told Xinhua that "the ban harms girls' rights."

The ban, which will take effect in the coming weeks, would override a previous abortion ban in the state. The state currently allows abortion up to 15 weeks into pregnancy under a law passed by the Arizona Legislature in 2022.

"This cruel ban was first enacted in 1864 -- more than 150 years ago, before Arizona was even a state and well before women had secured the right to vote," said U.S. President Joe Biden in a White House statement.

"The Supreme Court in Arizona went too far on their Abortion Ruling, enacting and approving an inappropriate Law from 1864," Former U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social. He said earlier this month that he believes abortion limits should be left to the states.

Abortion has been a controversial issue in the United States, primarily divided along partisan lines. The Democrats generally support protecting abortion rights, while Republican politicians have called for a range of restrictions on abortion.