Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the University of Minnesota chapter of Students for a Democratic Society

On February 14, Students for a Democratic Society held our Valentine’s Day Rally outside Morrill Hall to demand immediate action from President Gabel and the University administration on students’ demands for increased abortion access on campus. In response to students exercising our right to protest, administration locked the doors to Morrill Hall and placed armed UMPD officers inside the entrance.

Administration's response to this demonstration calling for greater healthcare access for its community is reprehensible. By using UMPD's presence to try to intimidate us out of entering Morrill Hall to bring our demands directly to President Gabel, administration has made it clear where they stand. They would rather try to frighten students away from exercising our rights than fulfill the university's obligation to us. We have to organize and fight to demand that the administration follows through on its responsibility to students, campus workers, and community members, as well as its responsibility to the entire state of Minnesota.

We continue to demand that the university:

Open an abortion clinic on every UMN campus

Create and properly fund a reproductive resource center for students, staff, and faculty

Implement a reproductive health resource module for incoming students similar to those about sexual misconduct and drug and alcohol use

Cease participation in revenue-generating events in states with abortion bans

Students who are looking to join the fight for women's and reproductive rights on our campus are more than welcome to join SDS at our meetings and next actions to make administration hear the demands of students, and to make clear that we will not back down from protesting and fighting for abortion rights – especially not for admin’s scare-tactics.

Defend Women's and Reproductive Rights!

A Clinic on Every Campus!

Abortion Access Now!

#MinneapolisMN #StudentsForADemocraticSocietyUOfMN #reproductiveRights #AbortionRights