From StopPatriarchy.org:

Young StopPatriarchy.org Leader Arrested for Street Theater for Abortion Rights

Updated January 16, 2015 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

Revolution/revcom.us received the following report from StopPatriarchy.org:

A young leader in StopPatriarchy.org, who led the dramatic street theater for abortion rights that can be seen in this video, was arrested when she and another woman repeated this action mid-day Tuesday, January 13, 2015. Another person doing the street theater was threatened with arrest if she took pictures or filmed the arrest. The street theater consisted of women lying “dead” while wearing white outfits stained with blood between their legs and holding the faces of real women who died from botched abortion when it was not legally available.

The street theater was performed in the Union Square subway station on Sunday, January 11 as part of promoting an abortion rights rally StopPatriarchy.org is planning on both coasts for the anniversary of Roe v. Wade (January 22 in Washington, DC; January 24 in San Francisco). These protests will be against the annual “March for Life” which is to be held by opponents to abortion. This takes place at a moment of record restrictions on abortions and when the new Congress just introduced a ban on abortion at 20 weeks.

During Sunday’s street theater, commuters were riveted, many snapped photographs and some broke out in applause. The deep and enthusiastic support this theater drew can be seen in the responses captured on video. It was in the same station, Union Square, just two days later that the young leader of Stop Patriarchy was arrested while carrying out a smaller version of the same peaceful theater.

“This arrest was an illegitimate and outrageous suppression of political speech, a violation of my rights and should not be tolerated,” she said. “I am proud to be fighting against the war on women and for abortion rights, abortion rights are in a state of emergency, and I will not stop.”

The young woman is a mere 5 feet and 2 inches and weighs barely over 100 pounds and was acting peacefully, and yet six large officers surrounded and arrested her in an overwhelming show of force. She was released and charged with disorderly conduct.

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