Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot urges ‘call to arms’ against Supreme Court
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was slammed by critics Tuesday for issuing a “call to arms” against the US Supreme Court after news that Roe v. Wade might be overturned broke.
“To my friends in the LGBTQ+ community — the Supreme Court is coming for us next. This moment has to be a call to arms,” the Chicago mayor tweeted.
“We will not surrender our rights without a fight— a fight to victory!”
Lightfoot’s comment comes amid outrage from Democrats after the leak of a memo indicating the Supreme Court is poised to overturn the landmark abortion ruling.
During an interview with MSNBC, Lightfoot was asked to clarify her meaning of “call to arms.”
“I think everybody who saw that draft opinion has gone through a range of different emotions,” Lightfoot said.
“And that’s why I’m calling upon fellow elected officials across the country, and particularly my fellow mayors to join me in making a pledge that we made today, which is a justice for all pledge. And fundamentally, it reaffirms Chicago as a welcoming city, a city that doesn’t discriminate, and a city that’s going to stand with women.”
Several people have slammed Lightfoot’s tweet saying that the tweet provoked violence as several Supreme Court Justices face protests outside of their homes.
“The Mayor of the most violent city in America is here to worry about woke nonsense instead of people literally dying in the streets there,” wrote one Twitter user.
YouTuber Mark Dice echoed the criticism asking the mayor of the embattled city already had enough crime problems.
Chicago has reported a staggering 194 murders in 2022, a six percent drop from this time last year. According to police, crime all over the Windy City has increased almost 35 percent.
Lightfoot made similar comments Monday while expressing fear that the nation’s highest court would not stop at outlawing abortion — and transferred $500,000 to the Chicago Department of Public Health to provide continued abortion access to women.
“This includes women’s rights, trans rights, immigrant rights and of course the right to same-sex and interracial marriage. We simply cannot stand idly by and let that happen,” Lightfoot said.
Should Roe v. Wade be overturned, Democrats fear the Supreme Court could overturn Obergefell v. Hodges which allowed same-sex marriage in 2015 as well as Lawerence v. Texas which struck down laws that made sodomy illegal in 2003.
