New Orleans, LA – On April 7, over 20 students and faculty members showed up to protest Amy Coney Barrett’s talk at Loyola Law School. Barrett is a Supreme Court Justice appointed by Donald Trump in 2020. She is one of the most conservative justices, who pushed forward the overturn of Roe v Wade in 2022.

Students chanted, “Not the church, not the state! Women must decide our fate!” and “Church and state – there’s no connection, don’t mess with my contraception!”

Zach Dowling, a Loyola Law student and member of the National Lawyers Guild, named some of Barrett’s actions since being on the Supreme Court, stating, “On transgender rights, she notably remarked that, ‘we don’t have a history of discrimination against trans people’ and has argued that Title 9 should not apply to transgender people. As an appellate judge her history is no better. She blocked an Indiana law that would make it harder for a minor to have an abortion without parental notification.”

Mae Guidry, a member of Students for a Democratic Society, stated, “We are here to show Justice Barrett that we do not approve of her actions up till now, and [make it clear] what we expect of her in the upcoming months, as Donald Trump’s violent, bigoted executive orders are eventually heard by the Supreme Court. We demand she respect the separation of church and state and not use her religion or personal belief in place of precedent!”

Protesters made their way to the front of the Loyola Law School, picketing for an hour with chants like, “Abortion is our right! Fight fight fight fight!” and “Right to life, what a lie! You don’t care if women die!”

As the demonstration came to an end, Guidry emphasized the importance of this action, stating, “Going forward, we hope Justice Barrett remembers the message we sent today. That she steps out of line and stands for the people of this country. We have to get organized so we can be loud. They will give us justice or they will not know peace!”

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