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LAPD action at University of California, Los Angeles marks latest flashpoint in mounting tensions on US college campuses. Plus, Arizona senate passes repeal of 1864 abortion ban
Good morning.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers breached a Gaza solidarity encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles campus on Thursday morning, removing barricades and threatening students with arrest.
Where have the campus protests spread? As well as sweeping the US and resulting in more than 1,300 arrests nationwide, encampments are now spreading internationally, with similar demonstrations in the UK, France and Australia.
This is a developing story. Follow our live coverage here.
What were the details of the law? The civil-war era statute, which predates Arizona’s statehood, bans nearly all abortions, including those sought by survivors of rape or incest. It also imposes prison terms for doctors and others who aid in abortions. The law had been blocked by the 1973 supreme court Roe v Wade decisions that granted the constitutional right to abortion.
What did pro-choice advocates say? “We are relieved that lawmakers have finally repealed this inhumane abortion ban – something extremist politicians refused to do for far too long,” said Victoria López, the director of program and strategy for the ACLU of Arizona.
What happens now? The repeal will not take effect until June or July, 90 days after the legislative session. Once the 1864 measure is stricken, a 2022 statute banning procedures after 15 weeks of pregnancy will supplant it as the state’s ruling abortion law.
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