Sunday January 18

Chicago: Wild and Defiant Counter-Protest Confronts Anti-Abortionists

Updated January 21, 2015 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

Revcom.us/Revolution received the following two correspondences:

From a reader:

On Sunday, January 18, a large gathering of rabid anti-abortionists (at least a couple thousand) led by the new Chicago Archbishop, Blase Cupich, and longtime woman-hater Joseph Scheidler was confronted by a defiant crowd of more than 100 protesters, mainly young women. A counter-protest of this size is something very new in the Chicago area. The main organizer of the counter-protest is a group called FURIE—Feminist Uprising to Resist Inequality and Exploitation. A Facebook event was also called by Stop Patriarchy. The Chicago Revolution Club was also in the house. Some people from FURIE and the Revolution Club joyously recognized each other from being in the streets together around the police murders of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

The protest was wild and defiant. FURIE had called it a Dance Party to Counter the Illinois March for Life. They came marching in as a group chanting and carrying all kinds of creative home-made signs. They welcomed Stop Patriarchy’s banner and many slapped on “Abortion On Demand and Without Apology” and “Abortion Providers Are Heroes” stickers. The cops forced the counter-protesters across the street but they just chanted louder and more defiantly. “Keep Your Rosaries off My Ovaries” and “Not the Church, Not the State, Women Must Decide Our Fate” rang out.

The pro-choice crew then marched through the Loop, stopped and had a speak-out. One of the speakers talked about being raped at age 12 and how she knew then that abortion was her right, although she didn't get pregnant. A young-woman reproductive rights activist said she had moved from Nevada 24 hours earlier. She talked about what a conservative state Nevada is and how happy she was to be in this unrepentant crowd of pro-choice women.

After the speak-out the protesters purposely positioned themselves to make a wall of signs and banners to confront the antis as they returned back to Federal Plaza. Seeing the reactionaries just motivated protesters to chant louder and blow the whistles passed out earlier by the Revolution Club. This was a dynamic beginning for a new year of mass defiance in the streets.

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From Chicago Revolution Club:

The Revolution Club in Chicago has primarily focused our work in the most downtrodden sections of Chicago’s south side and west side Black ghettos. We have also been really active in protests all over the city around Michael Brown and Eric Garner, including some of us getting arrested. Two Club members are facing serious felony charges from these protests.

Last Sunday the Club had what was for most, a really new experience. We participated in a counter-protest against Chicago’s “10th Annual March for Life”. Many club members had been following what Stop Patriarchy was doing on line and in the pages of Revolution, including last summer’s Abortion Rights Freedom Ride. But this was the first time most had actually been on the ground confronting a huge crowd of rabid anti-abortion fanatics.

Most club members were taken aback by the size of the fascist crowd. There were thousands! (This according to the Chicago Tribune.) Many had been bused in from city and suburban Catholic churches.

The size of the fascist crowd and some lingering ambivalence about the slogan “Abortion on Demand, Without Apology,” led one club member, a Black man, to say initially, “I think I’ll just observe.” But as the confrontation developed and the raucous, rebellious young women from FURIE (see accompanying article) began marching and chanting, he and other club members grabbed hold of the big “Abortion on Demand, With No Apology” banner from Stop Patriarchy.

Club members passed out whistles and by the end of the protest many of 100 defiant and in-your-face abortion rights advocates were all blowing whistles.

One young Black woman from the Club was really charged off this whole experience saying it was fantastic! Another Black male member said he was so glad he went. Most club members were unable to watch the live stream from the Speakout in NYC, We have plans to do that soon and will be watching what happens in DC and SF with great anticipation.

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