Protesters keep watch outside the Supreme Court

Pro-abortion crowds and a handful of pro-life protesters have kept up demonstrations at the Supreme Court steps since the publication Monday of a draft majority opinion that, if adopted, would overturn Roe v. Wade and allow states to set their own abortion laws. On Wednesday night, workers installed 8-foot, “unscalable” fences around the court building in anticipation of further protests over the weekend. The activist group Ruth Sent Us is organizing a “walk-by” demonstration next week to pressure the justices to keep Roe v. Wade in place. The group also urged protesters to gather in front of the homes of the Supreme Court’s six conservative justices. 

How have the justices responded? Chief Justice John Roberts condemned the leak as a breach of trust and ordered an investigation. Former clerks told NBC anyone with a copy of a draft opinion is instructed to use special “burn bags” marked for eventual destruction and to keep all papers secret. Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the draft opinion, canceled his scheduled attendance at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judicial conference Thursday. A spokesperson did not provide a reason.

Dig deeper: Listen to my report on the protests at the Supreme Court on The World and Everything in It podcast.