The Stories and Anger Poured Forth...National Actions to Stop the Assault on Abortion Rights, A Report from NYC

by Sunsara Taylor

The controversy began even before we set up. As we pulled on bloodstained pants to represent the countless women who have died for lack of legal abortions and unpacked our bright orange “Abortion On Demand and Without Apology!” signs, an older Black man began screaming that we were “murderers.” In moments we were thick into debate in front of a growing crowd, with people joining in on both sides. As the man condemned women for having sex if they don't want babies, I broke down the science behind the fact that fetuses are not babies, abortion is not murder and women are not incubators. I flipped the script on him by making clear that the real crime is forcing women to have children against their will, that is a form of enslavement.

We were at Union Square in New York City on July 1, as part of nationwide protests being held in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Cleveland, Maui, and DC. Read more

July 1 Protests Around the County: STOP the Assault on Abortion Rights

On July 1, around the country, people—women and men—took defiant and dramatic actions to oppose attacks on the right to abortion. At Union Square in NYC, dozens of people donned blood-stained white pants and carried signs of women who died because abortion was illegal or unobtainable. Other actions took place in Seattle, where 7 people were arrested; in Cleveland, including in St. John's Cathedral; Los Angeles, and elsewhere. Read more

An Attack on Women Anywhere Is an Attack on ALL Women: Raising Hell on J1 in Seattle!

In Seattle we took the street on July 1st, a national day of action called for by Stop Patriarchy. We raised hell and shut down business as usual! We kicked it off with a short rally and speak-out, and then we took the street. Our actions unleashed a chaotic scene! Hundreds of people looked on as we stood in a crosswalk of a major intersection in the middle of rush hour traffic. Seven of us were arrested, after being in the street for about an hour. Read more

Also included: "A letter to the REBEL GIRLS."

Photo: Bud Korotzer

Voices from Union Square, July 1

Revolution/revcom.us interviewed people taking part in the July 1 rally for abortion rights at Union Square in New York City.

"I had an abortion when I was 12 years old. My mom knows about it but the rest of my family doesn't know. Because the society that we live in says it's wrong, and the way I was raised says it's wrong. And when I had my abortion I cried for days. I was told I killed my baby. And now this reality that I'm seeing here, it's teaching me that it's perfectly fine. All the suffering that I did, there's no need for that. Because it's my right. It's teaching me a lot." Read more excerpts from the interviews

Take "Take Patriarchy by Storm" to the Neighborhoods of the Oppressed
July 10, 11, 12

Join Stop Patriarchy in taking the movement for the full liberation of women into communities of the oppressed across the country. Draw forward the suppressed anger—and mobilize the participation, both on the spot and in an ongoing way—of people who are all too often completely ignored and cast aside. Put the truth boldly to people everywhere: the full liberation of women is something that everyone who hates oppression of any kind needs to fight for. Join Stop Patriarchy in taking the movement for the full liberation of women into communities of the oppressed across the country. Draw forward the suppressed anger—and mobilize the participation, both on the spot and in an ongoing way—of people who are all too often completely ignored and cast aside. Put the truth boldly to people everywhere: the full liberation of women is something that everyone who hates oppression of any kind needs to fight for. Read more

Join Stop Patriarchy in Jackson, Mississippi
July 31-August 9

Stop Patriarchy is calling on people from across the country and from various organizations to join them in a 10 day mobilization to Jackson, Mississippi. We will boldly take out the full mission of Stop Patriarchy throughout the city of Jackson, stirring and drawing new people into the fight against all forms of female enslavement. And we will join with organizers in the area to build support for the last clinic in the state, the Jackson Women's Health Organization, and to build support for Abortion On Demand and Without Apology! Read more