From StopPatriarchy.com blog:
Jackson, Mississippi: This Clinic Stays Open
August 16, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
A crew of Freedom Riders went out to Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Mississippi’s last standing clinic, to help escort and defend today. There weren’t too many antis, but they so appropriately characterized that entire movement.
Of course they made a sign with a blown up picture of a patient on a stretcher from an incident at the clinic last week which has been totally blown out of proportion. It reads, “DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!” According to a 15-year-old, regular clinic escort, one anti was dancing and “praising the lord” when the patient was brought out on the stretcher.
Hearing the stories of sidewalk HARASSERS (who call themselves “sidewalk counselors”) going as far as buying vests resembling those of the escorts to confuse patients, hurts me. Seeing these people who posture as “pro-life,” “caring about babies,” as they shame one patient’s partner and their child for seeking an abortion at all, infuriates me. Then they talk about women… One anti literally said that women should not have the right to vote because it corrupts their “pure stature.” This keenly exposes the dark ages mentality behind the anti-choice movement and the direction of this current trajectory.
There is one anti who is particularly abrasive. He is known for intense verbal harassment and even physical confrontation with both escorts and patients. When he showed up, one escort led a few of us to stand behind him, where we blasted our music, twirled around with a few hula hoops, beaming from ear to ear, elevating “THIS CLINIC STAYS OPEN” signs. The antis were furious. “You’re partying and killing babies!” they proclaimed. Defending Jackson Women’s Health Organization with the heroes from the trenches of the abortion wars, fighting to keep this clinic open, providing its patients with the respect and standard of care they deserve, was joyous and inspiring. We have a fight ahead of us to win the future where women have abortion on demand &without apology, but this should be the spirit of that movement. In the face of all the lies and “moral authority” we defiantly celebrated. We righteously celebrated, because women came to the clinic today and got the abortions they needed, they made a decision about their lives, they were not reduced to their ability to reproduce, and that is WELL WORTH celebrating.
ALL OUT TO STAND UP FOR JACKSON WOMEN’S HEALTH ORGANIZATION, and ABORTION ON DEMAND &WITHOUT APOLOGY FOR EVERY WOMAN IN EVERY STATE!
Saturday @11AM
2903 North State St
Jackson, MS
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