Abortion rights demonstrator Elizabeth White leads a chant in response to the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24, 2022 in Washington, D.C.
A number of people are spotted wearing green or waving green flags at abortion rights demonstrations.
After the Supreme Court's landmark ruling Friday eliminating the federal right to abortion, a pro-abortion-rights advocate scaled one of the arches of D.C.’s Frederick Douglass Bridge and flew a green banner.
Why is green a symbol of abortion rights?
This color choice is no accident, as it is a symbol of similar movements previously held in other countries. The Latin American abortion rights movement, also known as the "green tide" or "green wave" has roots in Argentina.
Marta Alanis, founder of Catholics for the Right to Decide, proposed wearing a green scarf as a "symbol of hope, health, life" at the 18th National Women's Meeting in Argentina in 2003.
Soon after, green scarves, flags, T-shirts and posters were seen during demonstrations and protests.
With influence from Argentina, many Americans are moving to create their own "green wave," making the color green an international symbol of the fight for abortion rights.
U.S. & World
The U.S. group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights is among those that have embraced the use of green.
“A sea of green will display our cause and our determination to the world,” they said before demonstrations earlier this year.
