Protesters attend abortion rights march in downtown Phoenix on Friday

Thousands of protestors gathered at the Arizona state Capitol in downtown Phoenix on Friday night after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that set a legal precedent for access to abortion across the United States.

The 6-3 ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is expected to lead to total abortion bans in many states.

Protestors chanted “My body, my choice” and “Pro-life is a lie, they don’t care if people die” as they marched near the Capitol. Different chants could be heard simultaneously in various sections of the crowd. The Arizona Department of Public Safety estimated that nearly 8,000 people were in attendance during Friday’s protest.

After dark, law enforcement deployed tear gas as some protestors tried to get into the Senate building while the Senate was still in session, The Washington Post reported. DPS said in a news release that the protest had turned into an unlawful assembly.

The protest comes as abortion legality in Arizona is uncertain.

There are two contradictory laws that could be enforced in the state now that Roe has been overturned. The first law is from 1901, predating Arizona’s statehood by 11 years. It bans and criminalizes abortions — anyone providing abortion care could be subjected to up to five years in prison. The second law, signed more recently by Gov. Doug Ducey, will go into effect 90 days after the legislative session adjourns. It bans abortions after 15 weeks.

As of Friday, Planned Parenthood Arizona paused abortion services in light of the ruling, the organization posted on social media. Many other clinics in the state have also paused abortions, according to The Arizona Republic.

Check out photos from Downtown Devil reporter Amber Victoria Singer: