Buffalo stands up to bigots
Pro-choice forces prevail over right-wing siege
By Bev
Hiestand
Buffalo, N.Y.
Right-wing forces had called for a national mobilization to
converge on this city April 18-25. This so-called "Operation
Save America" targeted women's health clinics and the homes of
doctors who provide abortions.
Leaders of this reactionary movement have also tried to whip
up anti-Semitism by accusing Jewish doctors of being
responsible for the "Holocaust of the unborn."
They have threatened to target the lesbian and gay community
as "immoral," and vowed to descend on bookstores that carried
gay-friendly and sex-positive literature.
But when they arrived here, they were met by a diverse and
united coalition--Buffalo United for Choice `99--that was
determined to defend women's right to reproductive freedom.
In fact, virtually everywhere the right wingers appeared
they were confronted by people who believe that women have the
right to control their own bodies.
Every morning in the cold, gray dawn pro-choice activists
gathered at the two remaining clinics in this city to face down
the anti-abortionists.
The Buffalo media had to admit early in the week that the
much-touted national call for a right-wing siege had drawn a
force much smaller than expected
The media presented the right-wing mobilization as though it
were merely a protest of individuals who are personally opposed
to abortion. But people in this city remember all too well that
OSA leaders chose to announce their campaign last October on
the same day as a memorial rally for Dr. Barnett Slepian--a
popular local gynecologist and obstetrician who was
assassinated in his home.
The main suspect in the case has been identified as a
professional anti-abortion organizer linked to other murders in
the United States and Canada.
At the time of his murder, Slepian was the last doctor
providing abortions for women on Medicaid in this area.
Some 185 abortion clinics have been bombed in this country
as part of a reactionary campaign to take away women's right to
reproductive freedom.
A hand-lettered sign on the door of Buffalo Womenservices
read: "Our clinic is open in honor of Dr. Slepian." Pro-choice
clinic defenders exposed the hypocrisy of Bible-waving
anti-abortionists when they chanted, "Pray by day, bomb by
night, that's the motto of `Right-to-Life.'"
The bigotry of the "Right to Life" forces was clear to all
those who were on defense. For example, reactionary leaders,
aware that the cameras were rolling, got up right in the faces
of pro-choice supporters. They asked some lesbians if they were
"girls" or men.
OSA members filmed and photographed pro-choice activists. At
least one gay man found his photo--labeled as a "child
pornographer"--on a right-wing web site
The placards carried by those supporting a woman's right to
choose most appropriately named the real goals of this
reactionary mobilization "Operation Enslave America."
Students taught `anti's' a lesson
The successful organizing by BUC '99 grew out of the
experiences of the pro-choice movement here in 1992. At that
time, Randall Terry and his anti-abortion regiment led a siege
here they called "Spring of Life."
Pro-choice activists dubbed it "Spring of Lies."
In 1992, the character of the coalition that united to stop
Terry could be seen in those who linked arms to defend the
clinics. People of all ages and many walks of life came
together to stop that offensive against women's clinics.
But this time the coalition that formed didn't just draw on
people from different backgrounds who were determined to defend
clinic access. People who face different forms of oppression
and who understood that they were up against the same enemy
built BUC '.
That's what made the coalition and its political demands so
strong. BUC '99 stated that in addition to keeping the clinics
open, its goals were to take on the right-wing program of
racism, anti-Semitism and gay bashing head-on.
This not only cemented great solidarity within the
coalition. It offered a clear understanding of the kind of
broad social threat that the right wing represents.
BUC '99 was so well prepared and well organized that
wherever the right wing appeared for a photo opportunity or an
interview, roving squads of pro-choice activists arrived on the
scene to challenge them.
In addition, the BUC '99 leadership inspired others who had
not been part of the coalition to stand up to the bigots.
Anti-abortion forces ran headlong into an unexpected and
resolute opposition from area high school students.
The students shouted down the right-wing message. They
ripped up the hate literature and threw it in the
anti-abortionists' faces. Students made their own progressive
signs and held spontaneous pro-choice demonstrations before and
after school.
Other students wrote their own opinions about the need to
defend women's right to choose abortion. They distributed their
writings to their peers in school hallways or on the
Internet.
Some students skipped a few hours of school to take part in
the clinic defense.
One student told Workers World that he came to support the
pro-choice movement because, "If there's no more abortion,
girls will kill themselves just because they're pregnant."
And at the end of the week, a group of students contacted
BUC '99 members about getting involved in future actions.
Anti-abortion forces also descended on at least two chain
bookstores: Barnes & Noble and Borders. In the past, right
wingers have ripped up books about sexuality--particularly
those that defend lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
lives.
Store workers--overwhelmingly pro-choice and many of them
lesbian and gay--stood as vigilant sentinels near the entrance
of the bookstores. The workers' mood toward the book burners
was so hostile that when the bigots did show up, they chose to
leave without damaging any books.
Who did the police protect?
The role of the police and courts became an important
question in the pro-choice movement.
Some in the movement view the administration of Democratic
Mayor Anthony Masiello as more friendly to pro-choice
activists. So when the mayor announced that police would
enforce a recent federal injunction that keeps all protestors
60 feet from the clinic doors, some activists were
relieved.
They felt that the police presence was itself a victory that
the movement won. They hoped that this time the police would
protect women's access to abortion clinics.
But even many of those who at first had welcomed the idea of
police protection grew uneasy about militarized clinics.
Police, sheriffs, state troopers, federal marshals and FBI
agents marched into place in military formation.
Cops photographed pro-choice demonstrators from windows and
roofs and from helicopters. If pro-choice activists set foot
off the curb they were threatened with arrest. Yet police
didn't blink when anti-abortion forces paraded past them in the
street, clearly violating the federal injunction on using
bullhorns.
Pro-choice activists were penned into the same area as the
anti-abortionists. Cops looked on as right-wing bigots tried to
provoke or assault pro-choice women and gay people.
And police allowed the right wing onto school property to
proselytize students--in clear violation of city rules.
As days went by, even some of those who had initially been
in favor of the police presence began to change their minds.
Many agreed that creating a police zone in front of the clinics
was meant to take the hands-on struggle to defend the clinics
out of the hands of the pro-choice movement.
The city administration had proposed posting police squad
cars in front of gay and transgender bars and clubs during the
week, too. But the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities
rejected that idea.
Instead, they formed Rainbow Peacekeepers--community-based
squads that patrolled the bars and escorted people safely to
and from their cars.
The rainbow communities felt vulnerable to retaliation from
right-wing elements because of the significant role they played
in the pro-choice mobilization. Their numbers beefed up the
clinic defense every morning. The group Empire State Pride
Agenda donated money so BUC '99 could print brochures and mail
literature about activities. Lesbian and gay bar owners also
contributed.
Lesbian activists organized the biggest fundraiser for the
coalition. The event--Wrecking Ball in Drag--raised much-needed
funds. But in addition, it was so well attended and so much fun
that it helped boost the spirits and the sense of unity of
pro-choice activists of all sexualities who were in the
audience.
In the days and weeks to come, there will be much more time
for discussion among all those who took part in the
mobilization to stop the right-wing offensive. These
discussions will sift through the lessons of the last week. And
they will afford more opportunity to decide how to move forward
in the coming period.
But for now, people here are energized.
The key to the BUC '99 win over this reactionary siege could
be heard in the most popular chant of pro-choice activists who
held the line each morning: "Gay, straight, Black, white, all
unite to fight the right."
Bev Hiestand is a steering committee member of Buffalo
United for Choice '99.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
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