http://themilitant.com/2015/7936/793604.html
The Militant (logo)
Vol. 79/No. 36 October 12, 2015
(front page)
Chicago rally says, ‘Defend abortion
rights, defend Planned Parenthood’
Militant/Ilona Gersh
Sept. 19 rally in Chicago defends right to choose abortion.
BY ILONA GERSH
CHICAGO — “We need to say that Chicago stands with Planned Parenthood
and against Illinois Governor Rauner’s austerity budget,” Lauren Bianchi
told some 200 participants at a Sept. 19 rally and march at Federal
Plaza here in defense of women’s right to choose abortion. Participants
opposed moves to stop federal funding of Planned Parenthood.
Bianchi was speaking for FURIE — Feminist Uprising to Resist Inequality
and Exploitation — which called the action.
“We’re for repealing the Hyde amendment, which blocks federal funding
for abortion,” she told the mostly young and spirited crowd, “and for
free publicly funded child care; free reproductive health care,
including prenatal care, health screenings and contraceptives; and zero
cuts to women’s health care, child care and public education in the 2016
Illinois state budget.”
About 50 opponents of women’s rights counterprotested, trying to drown
out speakers with chants and drums. But abortion rights supporters were
louder.
“When abortion rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up and
fight back!” rally participants chanted, along with “Not the church, not
the state, women must decide our fate!” and “Pro-life, your name’s a lie
— You don’t care if women die!”
Opponents of women’s rights in Congress have stepped up efforts to place
further restrictions on women’s right to abortion and moved to ban
federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Heavily edited videos filmed by
agents of anti-abortion groups who infiltrated Planned Parenthood posing
as supporters were released this summer showing members of the family
health organization talking about plans to sell aborted fetal tissue.
The House passed a ban on funds for Planned Parenthood the day before
the demonstration, but the bill failed in the Senate Sept. 24. Some
legislators have threatened to try and prevent passage of a new federal
budget and shut down the government if the ban isn’t adopted.
Dolores Pankey from Austin, a western suburb, was one of several
shoppers who joined the march through downtown. “Join us,” she said to
others on the sidewalk, “We can’t let them close Planned Parenthood.
They serve millions of women.”
“We’re trying to get something going on campus,” Pam Novinski, one of
five students from Northwestern University, told the Militant at the
rally. “There are a lot of students and also professors who would give
us their support.”
“It’s important to have protests like this one, even if they’re modest,”
said David Winnyk, who recently moved to the area from Ohio. “It makes
us stronger and gives us confidence when we’re out in the public eye.”
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home
