As we go to press, access to mifepristone, one of the most common drugs used in medication abortion is in the hands of a fascist federal judge in Texas, Matthew Kacsmaryk. Kacsmaryk is expected to rule very soon in a lawsuit brought by anti-abortion groups in an effort to stop the distribution of mifepristone nationwide.

Sunsara Taylor, co-host of The RNL—Revolution, Nothing Less!—Show and co-initiator of Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights, told revcom.us:

When the fascists on the Supreme Court overturned women's constitutional right to abortion last year, they claimed that they were simply returning the question of abortion rights to each state to decide for themselves. This was never legitimate because denying the fundamental right of women to decide for themselves when and whether to have a child anywhere is an assault on women's status as full human beings everywhere. But this claim by the Court was also untrue. The Christian fascist assault on abortion rights is determined not to stop until it has ended all access to abortion for all women everywhere. Now, a Trump-appointed fascist judge is poised to make it illegal for doctors and providers everywhere in the country to prescribe one of the most common and safe drugs involved in medication abortion (mifepristone), even in states where abortion is legally protected. This is an outrageous violation of women's rights and lives and must serve as a wake-up call to millions to stand up and fight back. Forcing women to have children against their will is a form of enslavement. No one should accept a system that sanctions this. I urge everyone who is learning about this outrage to come out on the streets for International Women's Day to join in unleashing the fury of women and all who care about justice to fight against this violent misogyny and to lift our sights to a whole different way the world could be through an actual revolution.

Legal Abortion on Demand & Without Apology Everywhere!

Break the Chains! Unleash the Fury of Women as a Mighty Force for Revolution!

Making mifepristone unavailable would have a traumatic impact nationwide. It would deprive most women in states where clinical abortion is illegal of the only option they have. In states where abortion is legal, banning mifepristone would force women to seek abortions in clinics, overwhelming capacity. (For more background, see ALERT: Urgent Threat to Nationwide Access to Medication Abortions by Sunsara Taylor.)

The anti-abortion groups are lying when they claim mifepristone has harmful side effects. Legal abortions are much safer than giving birth, and mifepristone is at least as safe as any other form of abortion. Since approving mifepristone over 20 years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has continually confirmed that mifepristone is safe.

And, in a stunning development last week, one of the largest pharmacy chains in the country, Walgreens, announced it would refuse to make mifepristone available at stores in 20 or 21 states (the number is not settled at this writing), even states where abortion is legal.

This is in response to Republican attorneys general in 21 states threatening legal action against retail pharmacy chains if they dispensed the abortion pill. CVS, Rite Aid and other major pharmacies have not yet commented on whether they will be providing abortion pills in states threatening legal action. That threat was in concert with, but not legally connected to, the case now before the Texas judge, and represents an additional track in the assault on the right to abortion.

This double-barreled assault is an emergency on top of an emergency. This is a moment that demands vigilance and outrage.

If Kacsmaryk does revoke the FDA's approval of mifepristone, his ruling would likely be appealed, and possibly stayed (put on hold) pending appeals to higher courts. But there is a real danger that a ban on mifepristone would be upheld by the fascists, including by those who dominate the Supreme Court.

These moves to tighten the chains forcing women to bear children against their will cannot go down. These developments shine a bright light for all with the courage and honesty to confront reality that the “strategy” of the Democratic Party and aligned “pro-choice” groups to rely on voting and the courts is suicidal for women’s rights. And these developments further highlight the importance of the challenge from Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights:

Will you silently adjust to another leap in the Christian fascist drive to force women back into open patriarchal subordination to men by using the state to force them to have children against their will?

Will you comfort yourself in this acquiescence with the misplaced hope that this assault will stop here? They won’t!

Or will you resist?

As we wrote in our founding statement, “The violent subjugation of half of society must not be accommodated, excused, downplayed, or surrendered to. IT MUST BE STOPPED!”

Stay tuned to revcom.us for updates.