The Supreme Court ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the US states, mostly in the south and centre of the country, with abortion remaining legal on the east and west coasts.

States such as California and New York have vowed to be a safe haven for women denied abortion elsewhere.

There's been a joint message from the Democratic governors of Washington, California and Oregon saying the West Coast will remain a place where "reproductive health care will be accessible and protected".

In New York, governor Kathy Hochul says her state "will always be a safe harbour for those seeking access to abortion care".

Hochul has announced a "public education campaign for anyone who may need abortion care".

Image source, Getty Images

Anti-abortion activist Marjorie Dannenfelser says the Supreme Court decision is "the culmination of a human rights movement" and a moment to celebrate.

"'Safe abortion care' is an oxymoron, it leads to the death of an unborn child," she tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Dannenfelser, who chaired Donald Trump's pro-life coalition when he was campaigning for the presidency, says safe abortion care is not what has been happening in the US and adds: "It's never safe for the baby about to be born."

Asked about what happens next, Dannenfelser says: "There are about 30 states in the country that are in play, we will be as ambitious as we can to protect children and serve mothers in every single one of those states."

She says in the other 20 states pro-life campaigners will fight as hard as they can for some sort of limit on abortions, and it will be at the centre of future election campaigns.

Barbara Plett Usher
BBC News, Washington DC

The Supreme Court ruling has put on full display the profound division over abortion rights across the country.

Some states – such as Louisiana and Missouri - had bans that were automatically triggered as soon as Roe fell. About half are expected to outlaw or severely restrict abortions.

Other states – including New York and California - are pledging to act as safe havens for women seeking to terminate pregnancies.

Democrats in Congress can't do much, given their slim majority. But the vice president Kamala Harris says people angered by the decision should use their votes in November’s mid-term elections.

Both sides are gearing up for a long and bitter political battle, and security agencies are bracing for violence – they’ve warned about rising threats of extremist attacks.

Image source, Getty Images

US singer Billie Eilish used her Glastonbury headline set last night to protest against the Supreme Court's decision to end the constitutional right to abortion.

The 20-year-old star, who is from California, told the audience: "Today is a really, really dark day for women in the US.

"I'm just going to say that because I can't bear to think about it any longer."

She went on to dedicate Your Power, a song about older men who abuse their position, to everyone affected.

Eilish was not the only American performer to reference the decision from the stage of the famous festival in the UK.

Indie-folk musician Phoebe Bridgers cursed the "old" Supreme Court justices "who try to tell us what to do with our bodies".

You can read more here.

There were strong reactions among the crowd outside the United States' top court on Friday, following news of the decision to end nationwide abortion rights.

Many states have passed "trigger laws" that come into effect upon Roe v Wade being overturned. Others have left old laws on the books that banned abortion prior to 1973 - they could now go back into force.

Over the past decade, several states have also tried to pass laws making abortion illegal, except in a few circumstances such as if the pregnant woman's life is at risk. Some of those laws were struck down by lower courts, as they appeared to violate Roe v Wade. But now they will likely come back into force.

In total more than 20 states are making moves to limit access to abortion, according to pro-choice research organisation the Guttmacher Institute Some states intend to ban abortion from the moment of conception, while others are introducing bans at six or more weeks.

All states allow abortion to save the life of the mother, while some will also allow exceptions to their ban for cases of rape or incest.

Image source, .

Image source, Getty Images

The US Supreme Court has opened the door for individual states to ban or severely restrict the ability for pregnant women to get abortions.

In 1973, the court had ruled in Roe v Wade that pregnant people were entitled to an abortion during the first three months of their pregnancy, while allowing for legal restrictions and bans in the second and third trimester.

Now the court has overturned that earlier ruling, effectively making it possible for states to ban abortions earlier than 12 weeks.

Abortion will not automatically become illegal in the US - but individual states will now be allowed to decide if and how to allow abortions.

Image source, EPA

Welcome back to our coverage of reaction to, and fall-out from, the US Supreme Court ruling that removed American women's constitutional right to abortion.

Yesterday, judges voted to overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade decision that had established that right –five of the nine justices were firmly in favour of doing so.

Thirteen states have so-called trigger laws in place that will see abortion banned within 30 days, and seven of those have already been instantly applied – meaning some abortion clinics are already closing.

In Phoenix, Arizona, police fired tear gas after pro-choice protesters banged on the doors and windows of the state capitol. In Los Angeles, protesters briefly blocked traffic on a highway.

Protests are expected to continue in cities around the country on Saturday.

Stay with us for coverage of more developments and reaction to the decision.

But here's a roundup of Friday's history-making developments:

• The US Supreme Court ruled that American women do not have a constitutional right to abortion
• Conservative Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the 5-4 majority opinion that the 1973 Roe v Wade decision was wrongly decided

• Roe v Wade allowed abortions to be performed before a foetus could be viable outside the womb, which occurs at between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy
• The ruling does not mean abortion is banned in the US, but allows individual states to prohibit the procedure outright. Twenty-six conservative states are either certain or considered likely to ban abortion
• Abortion clinics are already closing around the country as so-called trigger laws take effect to ban pregnancy terminations, with Roe v Wade overturned
• US President Joe Biden expressed dismay at the ruling, saying: “It’s a sad day for the court and for the country”
• Former President Donald Trump - who picked three of the justices that joined the landmark ruling - told Fox News: “God made the decision”
• Protests are planned in at least 70 locations across the nation over the weekend

Protests have rippled outwards from Washington DC, spreading to US cities coast to coast following the ruling.

Demonstrators have been marching in New York, in Chicago and in Los Angeles. The gatherings have been reported by US media to be largely peaceful so far.

Thousands of protesters massed in Manhattan's Union Square before heading downtown to Washington Square Park.

Activists also rallied in Atlanta, Georgia; Madison, Wisconsin; Jacksonville, Florida; Richmond, Virginia; Nashville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; Austin, Texas; and Topeka, Kansas.

Demonstrations were reported, too, outside the US embassies in London, UK, and Ottawa, Canada.

Protests - mostly by abortion rights activists - are planned in at least 70 locations across the nation over the weekend, according to CNN.

In Washington DC, one protester Amanda Herring, who is nine months pregnant, showed up with "Not Yet a Human" written in ink across her belly.

Image source, Reuters

Maxine Hughes
BBC News, North Dakota

I’m in Minot, North Dakota, one of the 13 states with an existing trigger law that will ban abortion now that Roe has fallen.

It’s a solidly red state and accessing abortion here was already difficult.

For the past 10 years, North Dakotans have been voting on strict laws surrounding reproductive care.

In March 2013, a "foetal heartbeat" measure was signed into law, but the bill was blocked by the existence of Roe v Wade.

This afternoon I spoke to one young woman who works in the service industry and didn’t want to be named. She told me that healthcare options in general in the state of North Dakota were limited. She only knew of one clinic where women could go for an abortion.

“I don’t agree with them, but most of my family are happy about the decision,” she told me. “This state sits on the border, and from today, the only option is to cross over to Canada to see a doctor,” she said.

Emma Vardy
Ireland Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Across the island of Ireland news of the US Supreme Court ruling has triggered a swift and passionate response.

The issue stirs deep emotions here where abortion was only relatively recently decriminalised. Many vocal Irish campaign groups and activists still exist on both sides.

“The world continues to watch America become unrecognisable,” wrote Dr Jennifer Cassidy on Twitter, a university lecturer who was in Dublin in 2018 when jubilant crowds celebrated as the Republic of Ireland voted to decriminalise abortion.

Many on the pro-choice side have been reliving memories of that day, now expressing their horror at what they are witnessing in the US.

The story of Savita Halappanavar, who died of sepsis in Ireland in 2012, because she was not allowed a termination, is now being reshared widely in Ireland, by people warning Americans to prepare themselves for many similar deaths.

A “shameful decision” said Grainne Taggart of Amnesty International, who has fought hard for abortion rights in Northern Ireland.

But campaigners who were devastated by the legalisation of abortion on the island of Ireland, have been reinvigorated.

“Its a bit of a wake up for us here,” said Bernie Smyth, one of Northern Irealnd’s most prominent anti-abortion campaigners. “There’s a lot to be learnt from what is happening in the US.

“My personal hope for the future is that we too will one day reverse the legislation.

“I think the movement in the US has been very wise. This brings a lot of hope, and the battle goes on.”

Some health staff who work at abortion clinics have said privately there is also fear this will further embolden protesters who regularly demonstrate outside, increasing the difficulties for women who attend.

Now that the Supreme Court has effectively limited the right to abortion in the US, some legal minds worry other rights - such as same-sex marriage and access to contraception - could be rolled back too.

The decision to overturn Roe v Wade has no comparison, says Jessie Hill, law professor at Case Western Reserve University.

“I can't think of another situation where there was this longstanding right, personal individual rights, fundamental rights that people have relied on for decades. And that the Supreme Court just decided was not a right anymore,” Hill said.

The decision means states have full authority to determine whether abortion is legal, but Hill expects Republicans to push even further. “I think the endgame was really never to just leave it up to the states. The endgame was always to ban abortion nationwide.”

Prof Hill says a conservative Supreme Court may not stop with Roe v Wade.

“I'm not gonna say I'd expect to see next term the Supreme Court running around overturning the right to marry or the right to use contraception," she says.

"But I do think that the door is open for a legal strategy to ultimately overturn those rights as well.”

The Proud Boys, a far-right group, has warned against violent protests following the abortion ruling.

According to SITE Intelligence Group, a non-governmental counter-terrorism organisation, the Proud Boys released a message saying: "We urge all opposition groups to protest peacefully.

"We will not tolerate political violence in our town. There are more of us than there are of you. We will be watching, and we are everywhere."

Image source, Reuters

Holly Honderich
BBC News, Washington

Image source, Getty Images

Abortion medication - a two-pill regimen that allows women to terminate their pregnancy - is now the most common method of abortion in the US.

In 2020, such pills accounted for 54% of US abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice research group.

Abortion medication was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2000. As of December 2021, the FDA lifted the requirement that patients see a doctor in person before obtaining these pills.

As a result, some women living in states where abortion is restricted were able to use medication posted to them from elsewhere in the US, or in the world.

But while medication has become a preferred method of obtaining an abortion, it has also become a primary target of anti-abortion campaigners.

In the first five months of this year, lawmakers proposed 117 restrictions across 22 states on abortion pills. Without Roe's nationwide protection for abortion rights, these bans are expected to grow.

"This is a huge priority of our movement in a post-Roe America," said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action, one of the country’s biggest antiabortion groups. "We’ve absolutely called for a ban on online abortion pills."

Image source, Getty Images

US women's soccer captain Megan Rapinoe used a pre-match press conference on Friday to speak out about the Roe v Wade ruling.

In an emotional appearance, Rapinoe said the decision "doesn't keep not one single person safer, it doesn't keep not one single child safer, certainly".

"We know that the lack of abortion does not stop people from having abortions. It stops people from having safe abortions," she said.

"I think the cruelty is the point, because this is not pro-life, by any means," she added.

Image source, Getty Images

In anticipation of the Supreme Court's ruling to overturn the right to an abortion, 13 US states imposed so-called "trigger laws" that fully or partially ban the procedure.

Although each law differs in language, most will be implemented with immediate effect.

In fact, trigger laws in Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Oklahoma and Alabama have already been applied.

Bans in Mississippi and North Dakota will come into effect after their respective attorneys general have certified or otherwise recommended the move.

The ban in Wyoming has been certified by its governor and will come into effect in five days, and another in Utah is set to be certified by a legislative general counsel.

Finally, abortion bans in Idaho, Tennessee and Texas will be applied 30 days from now.

Barbara Plett Usher
BBC News, Washington

It almost feels like a college party among the anti-abortion rights activists.

Many of them look college age as well, wearing T-shirts that say: “The Pro-Life Generation Votes.”

“We are celebrating hard,” says Stephanie Gross. “Because a lot of babies are gonna be saved."

Talitha Muggeridge tells me that abortion killed “so many” in her age-group and she is excited to be part of the first “Post-Roe” generation.

Amid all of the pro-life and post-Roe signs is one that stands out: “Don’t tread on me” – the traditional slogan of gun rights activists.

Emily, the woman carrying it, tells me: “We are treading on this baby’s right as a human being because we’re murdering them in the womb.”

But what do gun rights have to do with abortion rights?

She tells me that human beings are born with “inalienable” rights that include the right to bear arms and the right to life – guaranteed by the constitution.

None of the women feels they’ve lost any rights with the end of Roe.

For Emily it’s very clear: “If I don’t want a child I will not have sex.”

And if that doesn’t work out?

“Then I will have that child because I cannot murder on the grounds of convenience, ever.”

Top Democrats have continued to assail the Supreme Court ruling. Former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton tweeted:

Former President Bill Clinton told CNN reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere , externalthe decision "puts partisanship ahead of precedent, ideology ahead of evidence and the power of a small minority ahead of the clear will of the people".

Vice-President Kamala Harris said the argument for overturning Roe v Wade that the court gave - that abortion rights were not "deeply rooted in our nation's history" - meant other rights, such as same-sex and inter-racial marriage, could be under threat.

Left-wing congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - known to supporters as AOC - joined protesters outside the Supreme Court.

She chanted into a megaphone for people to get "on to the streets" over the "illegitimate" decision.

Nomia Iqbal
BBC News, Washington

An emotional congresswomen, Madeleine Dean, tells me she is profoundly horrified. She was only 13 years old when Roe v Wade was established.

“My entire youth and adult life I have lived under equal rights for women. Privacy rights of trusting women with their own private healthcare decision. I think it’s malpractice by this court - a far-right extremist court by an extreme former president [Trump].

Dean, a Pennsylvania Democrat, mentions her 10-year-old granddaughter, who she says is now going to be reduced to a second-class citizen with less rights than her.

I ask her if the Democratic party took this issue for granted over the decades, given how focused conservatives have been on this?

“No I don’t think so, this is abject chauvinism by the Republicans. Democrats have never taken women’s rights for granted. My mother in law was a great feminist and raised my husband, a great Democratic feminist. Men and women do not take women’s rights for granted.