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Indybay Feature

On Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Demonstrations in San Francisco

by Macy Annestotter
"Religious Bigots Not Welcome in San Francisco" and "Separate the Marriage of Church and State" were two signs seen on Saturday, as pro-woman and pro-health activists gathered in San Francisco's Harry Bridges Plaza. Photos here from both sides (pro and anti-choice) from flickr.com under Creative Commons License. Top photo by NB35.
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Pro-choice activists are fighting back every step of the way as religious anti-choice forces attack Roe v. Wade.

Pro-woman, pro-choice demonstrators gathered to counter a large group of anti-abortion supporters along the Embarcadero on Saturday. Most of the misguided were from patriarchical church groups and were bused into the city from inland parts of California. This was the seventh annual march and counter-march on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the ruling that came down in favor of women's rights in 1973.

The mood was celebratory at times on the pro-choice side. Some danced to drums during the march from the Ferry Building toward the Marina Green.

Protests are going on this weekend in other parts the nation as well. Anti-abortion activists will participate in an annual March for Life rally Monday in Washington, D.C. where they will again face off with those who are celebrating the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
§Birth Control for the Englightened
by Macy Annestotter
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photo by Steve Rhodes
§from the "Walk for Life" protest
by Macy Annestotter
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So does this mean the "pro-lifers" are pro death penalty? Actually, many of them are!
photo by NB35
§San Francisco Pro-Choicers Make the March Fun
by Macy Annestotter
640_nboursidefun.jpg
photo by NB35
§Pro- & anti-choice separated by Police
by Macy Annestotter
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More fun on the pro-choice side...much to celebrate on anniversary of Roe v. Wade!
photo by NB35
§Warning: Churchgoing May be Dangerous to Your Health!
by Macy Annestotter
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photo by NB35
§Parody of Surgeon Generals
by Macy Annestotter
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Add Your Comments

Comments (Hide Comments)
by jane of BACORR
at least in hell they'll have the better record collection.
by suki
Looks great guys! Good job!
by Sorry i wasn't there
Any crowd estimates of both the Pro-Abortion rights demo and the Church sponsored moblization ?
I have noticed that except for the first yr . The ''Mainstream '' Women's rights groups like N.OW. and Planned Parenthood haven't been present (in any serious numbers anyway .) Did they show up yesterday ?
I also noticed that at times there seem to be a much larger presence of Latinos and Asians in the reactionary march than in ours . Was that different yesterday ?
Please do not misunderstand . I give credit due to the organizers . But i have noticed the above weaknesses .
by Senorita
Nice work everyone! Planned Parenthood never attends.
The turn-out was pretty good: about 250 people.

Keep it going - buy a ribbon at oursilverribbon.com and a feminist Pin-Up calendar to fund the Women's Community Clinic http://pinupclinic.blogspot.com/2010/11/please-buy-calendar.html

Friend BACORR on Facebook for political updates & actions!
by Senorita
http://www.oursilverribbon.com to spread awareness of women's reproductive rights!
by ...oh my
Buying more "stuff" to support good causes...I can't say that is the best way to raise money, but oh well to that. PINUP calendars to raise money for women's health? Oh my oh my. That is not good. What have we come to?
by ...jj......
About 100 at the rally at Harry Bridges rally...hard to count the number who marched...it was many more. The Chron said "several hundred". That sounds about right.
by Sorry i wasn't there
Thanks for the crowd estimate of our side but what about our opponents ? How many did they bus in ?
by Sorry i wasn't there
According to the Corporate media accounts i have read there were several thousand Anti-Abortion rightists assembled .
If accurate that's not good . So they outnumbered our forces at least 10-15 to One ?
Yeah i know they bussed them in from Inland counties .(but i suspect a fair number came from Catholic congreations in SF , Oakland and Berkeley ) Well the Left and the Women's movement have also ''bussed ''people in on many occasions .
With all due praise to those who did organize and turned out How is it that the Religious Right is able to outmobilze us ?
A little self critical reflection might be in order . What can we do to motivate and activate the no doubt pro-Choice Bay Area majority to hit the streets , especially in this crucial year ?
What have we been doing right and yes what have we been doing wrong ?
by Janey
To Sorry...and other people wanting a big presence~
Next year, why don't WE be the event ....and they be the protesters?

Friend BACORR on Facebook to get involved with early planning of next year's event!
Let's discuss :)
by Felix
Perhaps the self-critical reflection ought to be on your own part if you Weren't . Even . There .
People make the protest. If there are no people there is no protest.
by Sorry i wasn't there
To Felix, I had to do something called work , maybe you have heard of it ? It's something one has to do in capitalist society to survive . Besides me personally being there or not isn't the point .
My question is why in the SF Bay area we were so greatly outnumbered ? Aren't you concerned about that Felix ?
by good question
Ask Planned Parenthood. Ask NOW. Ask NARAL. It's not like they don't know what's going on. Planned Parenthood in particular is more concerned about their funding than they are about activism. They have been asked REPEATEDLY to show support. They're pretty useless. If you're going to get the word out, you have to use new media or a big org with big bucks and a way of contacting lots of people. Word of mouth doesn't cut it, judging from the results. But my hat's off to the folks who try and organize against the mammoth Catholic Church and who show up year after year to tell them how wrong they are.
by maya
to all those who didn't attend or were too inhibited on the other side to get down and break dance: you simply missed out on a good party making the fucking sheeple feel pretty inadequate when it came to "getting low for jesus".
by Ken
My wife and I attended this march with our son; we marched with the pro-lifers (the anti-choicers). We came with the St Ann's group from Lodi (just south of Sacramento, near Stockton). We marched alongside a group of neo-catecumenados from one of the San Francisco parishes; they played fun guitar and bongo music and and sang spanish song along the way.

Also walking near our group were some Muslims from the Lodi mosque - a small world I guess. In spite of various theological differences between Muslims and Catholics, it is good to know we can find pleasant common cause when it comes to this issue; I enjoyed chatting with them along the way as well.

I heard a head count of approximately 35,000 pro-lifers, but did not hear a count of the pro-choice folks.

I noticed a fine SF hospitality and we enjoyed the day; perfect weather and after the march, we stoped for some clam chowder - Mmmm!

Thank you San Francisco, for the welcome and fun day.
by Big Sis
There were about 10,000 people there for the WFL. Their parade was shorter than last year's. The WFL busses people in from all over California, and as far away as Illinois. They also offer extra credit to kids who go to parochial school (talk about incentives)! A friend of mine goes to the Catholic Church in Fresno, and reported back to me some of her congregation that attended were frightened of the Sisters and "homosexual deviants." Which is odd cuz they were incredibly friendly....
There were about 250 Local People from San Francisco & the Bay Area.
To Sorry - wow, no need to be nastay, save it for the dance floor.
by ...but don't come back
You are not going to change opinions in our town. And shame shame shame on you for wanting to deny women appropriate health care. Wonder what would happen if YOUR wife needed an abortion....hmmm? There are many many cases where it is a medical necessity and you and your ilk make it difficult even then! think about it...
by ..jj....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLXtdlRWapQ

This video shows a youth group at the very front of the Walk for Life. Watch and you'll see how several of the young women can not keep their eyes off the protesters, even though they've been instructed to keep eyes forward at all costs. They can clearly hear the prochoice chants over their religious singing. And in case you think only the protesters are dressed in costumes, I saw several angels and even an Uncle Sam type in the Walk for Life group!
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