Day Of Action For Reproductive Justice

Hear Zack, AKA Revolt, with a powerful two song rap performance from the reproductive rights rally stage. One song tells the eloquent story of the difficulties of poverty and child birth. The performance was skilled and uplifting. (7 minutes)

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Hear 12 minutes of audio from the pro-choice march up the Embarcadero. Activists broke out into song and dance to the music of Brass Liberation Orchestra, while on the sidewalk facing off with the thousands of marching anti-choice activists, most of who appeared not happy at the sights and sounds. Rubble reads some of the vile rhetoric these church-based activists carried on their signs to expose some of the true nature of their approach (11 minutes)

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Hear Karen Schmidt of Los Angeles Radical Women - first interviewed by Rubble, then in a powerful speech from the stage at the event. Karen is a union member, LGBT and feminist organizer. Radical Women is a socialist-feminist organization. Bay Area Radical Women members have been strong organizers for this event for the past 6 years, several LA activists drove up for the event. LA Radical Women is active in LGBT and immigrant issues. Karen gets to the root of the problem with reproductive and other women's rights - capitalism. (13 minutes)

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Hear numerous women speaking from the stage at the rally and march against the right wing "Walk For Life - West Coast. Topics included not only abortion rights, but for Single Payer Health Care and against other political problems in this country that make women's and human rights difficult to achieve and maintain. (32 minutes)

BACORR activists met the right-wing “Walk For Life - West Coast” at the Embarcadero Plaza on Saturday, January 23rd for a counter protest and rally on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. Speakers elaborated on the need for full reproductive rights, in that abortion needs to be safe, affordable, and accessible.

The mainstream media accounts that I read give much more space to the anti-abortion forces, and generally provide superficial information, framing the issue as ideological differences as opposed to healthcare needs and human rights. Pro-choice activists continue to highlight the complexity of the abortion issue, and the tragic consequences for many women when they do not have access. While the right-wing gets press for its view that abortion is murder and that they are fighting for “life”, pro-choice activists highlight the consequences, including how many women die worldwide without appropriate access.

Lincy Comy of the Feminist Women’s Health Center reported that 70,000 women die annually worldwide from abortion complications while 220,000 children are left motherless. Poverty and the lack of resources necessary for many women and society collectively to provide for children should be obvious. She explains that Oakland has lost two abortion clinics in the past year. The Feminist Women’s Health Center, which helped underserved groups of women such as LGBT and immigrants, was one of the first health clinics to close due to state health and human services budget cuts. Planned Parenthood Oakland stopped providing abortions during the past year.

Activists spoke articulately about other political problems facing women and society which contribute to the overall climate in which abortion access continues to backslide. Bea Johnson, a disability rights activist and World Can’t wait member, spoke from her wheelchair in no uncertain terms about the horrific public policy agenda during the first year of the Obama Administration.

Other powerful speakers included Deidre Wilson, Program Coordinator of the California Coalition of Women’s Prisoners; Leslie Mullen of the Haiti Action Committee; Marit Knudsen and Anita O’Shea, tireless event organizers and members of BACORR and Radical Women; and Alison from Berkeley National Organization of Women (my apologies for any misspellings, since I translated names from the audio).

While the corporate press speculated trivially about what “numbers” each side might have, the effect was obvious for everyone there. The anti-abortion forces had way, way too many people. Actually seeing so many thousands and thousands of people lining up and marching for this anti-choice message, in an agenda which includes pro-war; anti-gay Proposition 8 backers; anti-immigrant with Minutemen activity at the Mexican border; and probably (I‘m not completely sure) “tea-party” types obstructing any real health care reform such as Single Payer and public options and whatever else is really upsetting. Listening to some the church based speakers, I heard confusing, senseless conclusions based on dubious facts, and it is alarming to see so many people going along with this in the name of religion, with such a seeming lack of critical reasoning involved.

It seemed to me that the “Walk” had more people than last year. The pro-choice activists had decentralized actions along the march route, such as a queer kiss in and a celebratory dance party on the sidewalk to the brass and rhythms of the Brass Liberation Orchestra. At one point, pro-choice activists blocked the anti-choice marchers’ route by unfurling a large banner across the street reading “Religious Bigots Unwelcome In San Francisco”.

Hopefully the 200 estimated by the Oakland Tribune is understated, but the disparity in numbers to me is alarming. Several “Walk” activists were arrested for violently attacking a pro-choice activist carrying a sign they objected to, blowing their “cover” as the real peaceful civil rights activists in the name of Martin Luther King. Otherwise the events were orderly and non-violent.

BACORR activists believe that many mainstream pro-choice citizens may not realize the totality of the continued threats to abortion. Providers such as Planned Parenthood stay away and urge their members to do the same. Planned Parenthood apathy probably stems in part from structural disincentives such as fear of offending Democratic politicians they rely on for a what little funding and backing they get and the legalistic realities of NGO status.

BACORR will be continuing to explore ways to expand their reach and be more effective. I think the event was a success from the point of standing up for what is right and what is needed.