Abortion Rights Rallies Planned Across Country

Abortion rights advocates plan rallies, panel discussions and other events across the country this weekend to press their contention that they speak for the majority and to urge state legislators not to restrict access to abortions.

Organizers of the campaign, called Mobilize for Women’s Lives, said that nearly 1,000 events for abortion rights advocates will be held in towns and on campuses, in addition to a rally Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.

“Since the emphasis in reproductive choice has shifted from the federal level to the state legislative level, we feel it’s important to have demonstrations in each state,” said Sally Tyler, executive director of the Georgia Abortion Rights Action League, which is planning a demonstration at a park in Atlanta.

“Now, it’s even more important for Georgians who are pro-choice to let the lawmakers know how they feel,” she said.

Events on Sunday will begin with a sunrise rally in Kennebunk, Me., and will wind up with a sunset rally in San Francisco.

At some events, participants will wear purple clothing or purple bows, using the same color that women’s suffrage advocates used decades ago.

Abortion opponents, who have held protests at various clinics around the country almost every weekend for months, are in some cases planning counterdemonstrations or other events opposing the abortion rights rallies.

Samuel Lee, legislative chairman of Missouri Citizens for Life, said that his group will hold a news conference in the Capitol in Jefferson City shortly before abortion rights demonstrators are due to hold a rally outside.

When asked if the purpose of the conference was to share in the news coverage, he said: “I wouldn’t deny that at all. It’s a convenience for the media people, too, for us to all be in one place.”

It was a case from Missouri that led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in July that allows states to enact restrictions on abortion.

India McCanse, an organizer of the abortion rights demonstration at the Missouri Capitol, said the expected turnout of thousands “will be significant, because a lot of people in this country have written off Missouri as being totally anti-choice. We want to demonstrate that is absolutely wrong.”