People gather in downtown Orlando after Supreme Court draft opinion leak

Protests follow leaked Roe v. Wade draft brief

Protests over the leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that would throw out the court's Roe v. Wade ruling sent people into the streets around the nation.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Hours after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed that a draft opinion leaked to Politico was authentic – and suggested the Court was leaning towards overturning Roe v. Wade – people gathered outside Orlando City Hall with various signs to voice their opinion on the developments.

To be clear, the Supreme Court has not issued a ruling or made an announcement about its current case that could impact Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion. It's widely understood that rulings are not considered official until announced.

The document obtained by Politico indicated it was a draft and written in February 2022. Justice Roberts described the leak as a breach of trust and called for an investigation to find the source of the leak.

"Love your neighbors, you love yourself. How can we love these tiny children, who are made in God’s image, but to make this illegal and to stand out here and speak up for them," said Anne Marchetti, who described herself as being pro-life.

People gather in downtown Orlando after Supreme Court draft opinion leak

Hours after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed that a draft opinion leaked to Politico was authentic – and suggested the Court was leaning towards overturning Roe v. Wade – people gathered outside Orlando City Hall with various signs to voice their opinion on the developments.

Annie Filkowski, who works for Central Florida's Planned Parenthood, said the organization would continue to fight for women's right to choose.

"It was a moment for me in this fight for reproductive rights that I've been a part of, the first moment where my stomach sort of dropped. I was at a loss for words. Seeing it in black and white, it was just heartbreaking," she said.

According to the leaked draft majority opinion, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, it would end federal protections and leave it up to each state leaders and legislature to set its own policies on abortion.

Less than two weeks ago, Gov. DeSantis signed a bill into law that bans abortions after 15 weeks, except in situations of "fatal fetal abnormality."

"What that means for Planned Parenthood is that we will continue to get people get the care they need whether that's facilitating them to leave the state," said Filkowski. "It’s a personal, private matter that the Supreme Court and Gov. Ron DeSantis should have no say in."

Tuesday afternoon, Gov. DeSantis said the leak was "a significant breach of trust" and should be investigated.

"If the draft opinion made public tonight is final, we wholeheartedly applaud the decision. The American people have the right to act through their elected officials to debate and enact laws that protect unborn children and women.," said pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony List in a statement Tuesday night, following Politico's report.