Biden Urges Americans to ‘Keep All Protests Peaceful’: ‘No Intimidation – Violence is Never Acceptable’

President Joe Biden addressed the nation in a speech from the White House Friday regarding the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and emphatically urged those opposing the decision to voice their opinions in a peaceful way.

The Dobbs opinion, a 5-4 decision authored by Justice Samuel Alito, overturned the landmark 1973 case of Roe v. Wade. In Alito’s majority opinion, the Court found that the language of the Constitution “does not confer a right to an abortion” and overturned Roe and a 1992 case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, declaring that “the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.”

For decades, abortion has been one of the most contentious issues in American politics, and after a draft of Alito’s opinion was leaked in May, protests broke out across the country, including several that targeted the homes of Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices. Earlier this month, a man was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s residence in Chevy Chase, Maryland for allegedly threatening to break into the house and assassinate him.

In Biden’s remarks, he called the Dobbs opinion a “very solemn moment” and expressed concerns that women’s lives would be at risk as a result. He wrapped his speech by expressing solidarity with those who were disheartened by the court’s ruling but denounced responding with violence in very strong terms:

Let me close with two points. First, I call on everyone, no matter how deeply they care about this decision, to keep all protests peaceful. Peaceful, peaceful, peaceful. No intimidation. Violence is never acceptable. Threats and intimidation are not speech. We must stand against violence in any form, regardless of your rationale.

Second, I know so many of us are frustrated and disillusioned that the Court has taken something away that’s so fundamental. I know so many women are now going to face incredibly difficult situations. I hear you, I support you, I stand with you.

The consequences and the consensus of the American people, core principles of equality, liberty, dignity, and a stability of the rule of law demand that Roe should not have been overturned. With this decision a conservative majority of the Supreme Court shows how extreme it is, how far removed they are from the majority of this country. It made the United States an outlier among developed nations in the world.

But this decision must not be the final word. My administration will use all of its appropriate lawful powers. But Congress must act. And with your vote, you can act. You can have the final word. This is not over. Thank you very much. More to say on this in weeks to come.

After concluding his remarks, Biden left without taking questions from reporters.

Watch the video above, via CNN.