Rallies defend women’s reproductive rights

New York City

A large demonstration was held in New York City’s Foley Square to protest legislation passed by the House of Representatives to cut Title X, the National Family Planning Program, and bar Planned Parenthood from receiving any federal funds. Planned Parenthood of New York City reports that 6,000 participated at the Feb. 26 protest.

“This was the largest outpouring for women’s reproductive rights in New York City in the last 20 years,” said Sue Davis of Workers World Party and a longtime women’s reproductive rights activist. “The crowd was more multinational than in the past and young women were at least half the crowd.”

Many marched to join the protest at Foley Square from a rally at City Hall held earlier that day in support of Wisconsin workers fighting passage of a bill that would destroy collective bargaining rights for public sector unions.

Planned Parenthood of New York City called the “Stand Up For Women’s Health” rally. The group said the bill, pushed through by the Republican leadership in the House, is an assault on women who rely on Planned Parenthood for primary and preventive health care, including lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings, HIV testing, annual exams, family planning visits and birth control.

Title X serves 5 million poor women, of whom 20 percent are Black and 28 percent Latina. Eliminating it would be devastating; it would wipe out funds for prenatal care, nutrition programs for pregnant women and their children, Head Start and childcare for 368,000 children.

Walk for Choice says that demonstrations were held in 45 U.S. cities on Feb. 26 to protest this right-wing attack on women’s rights.

WW photo: Ellie Dorritie

— Report and photo by Brenda Ryan

Buffalo, N.Y.

A Buffalo demonstration to support Planned Parenthood brought out mothers, fathers, grandmothers, students, gay men and other activists. They stood and protested in the Buffalo snow against announced cuts to family planning and Title X funding. Buffalo and Niagara Planned Parenthood helped organize thousands of reproductive rights supporters twice in the 1990s and booted national mobilizations of anti-choice bigots out of town.

— Bev Hiestand