St. Paul, MN – Around 50 people rallied outside Birthright, a crisis pregnancy center in Saint Paul the evening of Wednesday, June 24. The protest comes on the fourth anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. This decision ended federal abortion protection, thus leaving abortion regulation to the individual states. Birthright, the target of the protest, is a crisis pregnancy center. Crisis pregnancy centers are projects with the primary mission to block access to abortion services.

In Minnesota, abortion is legal, protected and accessible at all stages of pregnancy, but with neighboring states banning abortion outright, people are forced to travel to Minnesota, or carry out pregnancies against their will. Federal cuts to Medicaid have forced the closure of four Planned Parenthood locations in Minnesota (Alexandria, Bemidji, Richfield and Apple Valley). Planned Parenthood serves as the only providers of reproductive healthcare in some rural and underserved areas.

Aizar Cabrera of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee stated, “Today, we’re seeing children who have been kidnapped by ICE turn up pregnant due to sexual assault. These children have then been forcefully relocated to Texas, a state with some of the most strict abortion restrictions, only made possible after Roe v. Wade was repealed in 2022.” Cabrera is referring to over a dozen pregnant unaccompanied minors who were sent to a single facility located in the small border city of San Benito, Texas. “We know this is not a coincidence,” said Cabrera, in response to these pregnant minors being sent to a state with a total ban on abortion.

The rally was organized by the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump. Speakers at the event included members of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Twin Cities for Justice, the advocacy and organizing manager of Gender Justice, and a health care worker. All speakers talked about the need for bodily autonomy for all.

The rally ended with the crowd chanting, “We won’t back down from this fight – abortion is a human right!” Traffic on Snelling Avenue honked along, some in solidarity and some in disapproval of the crowd's plea for widespread protection of reproductive rights.

#StPaulMN #MN #WomensMovement #LGBTQ #ReproductiveRights #Abortion #RoeVWade

St. Paul, MN – On January 22, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) held a rally for reproductive justice near the Minnesota State Capitol. Pro-abortion, pro-bodily autonomy activists and community members gathered to renew their commitment to fighting for true reproductive justice beyond Roe.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade represents a loss to the reproductive justice movement. MNAAC activists explained that Roe itself was never enough. Although some abortions were made legal by the passage of Roe, it still allowed for gestational age restrictions, waiting periods, disinformation counseling sessions, and other restrictions.

MNAAC member Kristen Bledsoe described that the high cost of healthcare in America itself presents a barrier. “[Roe] still allowed for people to pay exorbitant amounts for this essential health care,” Kristen Bledsoe explained, “[Roe] still allowed for employers to choose whether they wanted insurance plans to cover abortion care, and to choose whether they’d allow sick leave to cover their employees’ appointments and recovery times. Even before the Dobbs decision, there were endless roadblocks for so many people who were trying to access abortion.”

Other groups organizing to enhance abortion access were in attendance. Omi Ifemi, a director at Our Justice, the country’s oldest abortion fund, explained that “Roe was the floor and not the ceiling.” Our Justice provides direct financial and logistical support for people seeking abortion care.

Alissa Washington of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council of Minnesota stated, “This is where we move from listening to action. Fight for people locked away in cages, targeted by ICE, or arrested for protesting. Freedom that excludes the most vulnerable is not freedom at all.”

Hayley Peterson, a board member at Pro-Choice Minnesota said, “Bodily autonomy of course includes access to abortion, but it also includes the ability to go to shops, work, places of worship, and anywhere else without fear of abduction.” Other speakers detailed the reproductive health effects of chemical weapons used by police and ICE to control crowds and the ways that ICE routinely denies access to menstrual health products for detained people.

Zara Anderson, a member of MNAAC, declared that “when we say reproductive justice, we mean the right and ability to have a child, to not have a child, and to parent our children in safe and healthy communities. That’s why we’re fighting to defend and expand women’s and reproductive rights, including full abortion access for all, and that’s why we’re here to demand ICE out of Minnesota.”

Manny Pascual, an organizer with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and a nurse by trade, demanded an end to immigration raids and deportations, an end to all anti-immigrant laws, and full equality in all areas of life.

Manny Pascual stated, “Reproductive justice and immigrant justice are connected. You can’t have bodily autonomy if people cannot walk into a hospital without fear. You cannot talk about choice if people are hunted for who they are or where they come from. A world where women and queer people are free must be a world where all bodies and people are respected.”

MNAAC is a grassroots, all-volunteer reproductive justice organization that fights for reproductive and trans rights including abortion access, bodily autonomy, and gender-affirming care. Originally formed as a coalition of groups after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, MNAAC maintains that any attempts to limit, ban, or prevent access to abortions are fundamentally attacks on bodily autonomy.

MNAAC organizes to disrupt groups like Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, which claims to be “Minnesota’s largest pro-life organization.” Historically, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life has taken January 22nd as a “day of mourning” due to the passage of Roe v. Wade. MNAAC reclaimed this day as a day of action and renewed commitment to fight for reproductive justice and bodily autonomy for all.

MNAAC continues to organize around abortion access, trans liberation and bodily autonomy for all, including incarcerated people and immigrants. Their next action is planned for March 8, International Women’s Day, where they will take to the streets to demand women’s and reproductive rights. You can follow MNAAC’s work on Instagram and Facebook.

Dan Michael Fielding is a member of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC).

#StPaulMN #MN #WomensMovement #ReproductiveRights #Abortion #MNAAC #RoeVWade

Milwaukee, WI – Reproductive rights supporters took to the streets, Saturday, November 9. Roughly 300 people gathered to hear speeches and speak out against the outrageous abortion restrictions in Wisconsin and across the U.S. 

Rally emcee Carly Klein of the Reproductive Justice Action-Milwaukee stated, “Many of you are out here today because you are enraged, terrified and heartbroken by the results of the presidential election. Our hope is that you are able to mobilize these emotions into action and join us in the fight for abortion access and safe and sustainable communities.” 

The group marched to the steps of the federal courthouse to hear speeches and chants for reproductive freedom. They met with overwhelming support from the public, with people joining as they marched on and continued to grow in size. 

Even though an 1849 feticide bill interpretation is being heard by the Supreme Court as to whether or not it applies to abortion, Wisconsin law still bans abortion after viability (as determined by physician), requires mandatory in-person consultation, 24-hour mandatory waiting period, and bans telemedicine consultations for abortion care. This particularly impacts oppressed nationalities and people in rural areas where access to abortion is difficult. 

Blake Jones, chair of RJA-M addressed the crowd, stating, “Our bodily autonomy has always been on the table and used as a bargaining chip, for Democrats and Republicans. Here in Wisconsin, reproductive health is almost an afterthought. Yes, abortion services have resumed, but barriers are still at every corner.” She went on to describe how cost, availability and travel are all ways that can prevent someone from getting an abortion, stating, “Abortion is healthcare, it shouldn’t be this complicated to get medical care for yourself.”

Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee was formed, with the help of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, shortly after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June of 2022. Since then, it has been a thriving grassroots organization, with wins such as getting a referendum sponsored by Milwaukee County Executives Martin, Clancy, and Martinez on the April 2023 ballot. The referendum, which read, “Should Wisconsin Statute 940.04, which bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy without exception for rape, incest, or health of the patient, be repealed to allow legal access to abortion care?” and it passed with 76.91% of the votes saying yes.

Since then, it’s been an uphill battle for abortion rights in Wisconsin; with abortion services being paused for a year after Roe v. Wade fell, and now only four clinics for the whole state. Klein went on to say, “The Trump administration and the reactionary Republican agenda is a threat to our bodily autonomy. However let us not forget that Roe fell under a Democratic presidency. Let us not forget that the Democrats had 50 years to codify abortion rights into law and failed us too.”

President Obama was asked about the Freedom of Choice Act in 2009. That act would have codified the right to: “bear a child; terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability; or terminate a pregnancy after fetal viability when necessary to protect her life or her health,” into federal law. At that time, Obama said it “is not the highest legislative priority.”

Jones said, “As a Trump presidency comes on the horizon, now more than ever is the time to take control of your reproductive health, no matter what your future plans are,” adding, “We only have each other, and we must struggle for the intent of unity.”

#MilwaukeeWI #ReproRights #RoevWade #Trump #Abortion #MAARPR #ReproductiveJusticeActionMilwaukee #RJAM

Milwaukee, WI – On Friday, February 16, Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee (RJAM) held a press conference outside of Milwaukee City Hall to call on Wisconsin Assembly Leader Robin Vos to hold a public hearing for the Reproductive Freedom Act.

RJAM Chair Lauren Forbush started off the press conference with a chant, “When reproductive rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” 

“We are outside City Hall this morning to call attention to the Reproductive Freedom Act. The Reproductive Freedom Act would expand access to abortion services statewide,” Forbush said.

Isabella Gargi of RJAM was the first speaker for the press conference. “This legislation has three parts. The first part restores the power of individuals to make their own pregnancy health care decisions by removing medically unnecessary restrictions and bans on abortion care, and removes inappropriate political interference from the doctor-patient relationships. The second part affirms the obligation of health care providers to provide medically accurate information to patients and creates a right for patients to receive medically accurate information from their healthcare provider; and the third part ensures that publicly funded pregnancy counseling services provide all options counseling and services.”

Maya Seshan from Medical Students for Choice used her speaking time to highlight the need for a public hearing for the Reproductive Freedom Act. “Voters across Wisconsin have affirmed the need and right to be able to access abortion care! Restrictive abortion laws affect patients, healthcare providers, and medical workers.”

After voicing her support for the public hearing, she went on to explain how the previous abortion ban has impacted pregnant people with life-threatening complications during pregnancy. One of these conditions is preeclampsia, which causes life-threatening complications to the pregnant person during pregnancy, and if they continue with giving birth they can experience life-threatening conditions postpartum as well. Preeclampsia is only diagnosed at or after 20-weeks of gestation, while the current abortion restrictions in Wisconsin only allow abortion up to 21 weeks.

“Under current Wisconsin law, this condition cannot be treated safely. All healthcare professionals and patients will experience uncertainty until the Reproductive Freedom Act is codified into law,” Seshan said.

The next speaker was Tracey Schwertfeger, a registered nurse and leader with the Saint Francis Hospital chapter of Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals Local 5000. She spoke in favor of a public hearing for the Reproductive Freedom Act on behalf of labor activists in the medical field.

Schwertfeger stated, “Abortion access is access to healthcare and access to freedom. The denial of access is an undue burden on people, disproportionately affecting those who are already marginalized and facing socioeconomic challenges. Our duty as healthcare professionals is to advocate for equitable care ensuring that all people can exercise their right to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. By facilitating an open discussion on this matter, we have a democratic process that is for us, by us!”

The last speaker was Blake Jones of RJAM, who read off a statement from the authors of the Reproductive Freedom Act, Senator Kelda Roys and Representative Francesca Hong. The statement went on to reiterate the three components of the bill and emphasized, “A key piece is about ensuring Wisconsinites have access to evidence-based information to make the best decisions for themselves.”

To close out the press conference, Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee called on all Wisconsinites to demand Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to hold a public hearing for the Reproductive Freedom Act. Back in January, the Wisconsin Assembly on Health, Aging, and Long-Term Care held a public hearing for a proposed referendum that would enact a five-week abortion ban. These activists believe that if the committee held a public hearing for legislation to take away healthcare access, they must hold a public hearing for legislation to expand healthcare access.

You can help support this demand by participating in their call-in and email-in campaigns to demand the public hearing. Check out @reproductivejusticeaction on Instagram to find out more information about this ongoing campaign and RJAM’s fight to expand abortion access in Wisconsin.

#MilwaukeeWI #ReproductiveJustice #AbortionRights #AbortionAccess #RoevWade #WomensLiberation #ReproductiveFreedomAct

Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, October 16, a group of students and community members rallied on the steps of Northrop Hall at University of Minnesota. They were there to protest U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett at the annual donor-funded Law School public lecture.

The rally was covered by over a dozen local and national news outlets. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at UMN and the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) jointly organized the rally, where at least 250 people mobilized in support of abortion access, affirmative action, and the rights of marginalized peoples.

Justice Barrett is a key figure in the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority and played an instrumental role in striking down Roe v. Wade (1973) in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022). Roe v. Wade was a longstanding precedent for the Supreme Court which protected the constitutional right to an abortion. Since the Dobbs decision, 13 states have banned abortions, and many others imposed client and/or provider restrictions on abortions, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights.

Abortion rights movements in the Twin Cities, especially MNAAC, are currently in the struggle to expand legitimate abortion clinics and shut down the nearly 90 illegitimate “crisis pregnancy centers” across Minnesota.

Barrett also voted with conservative justices to strike down affirmative action in SFFA v. Harvard (2023) and SFFA v. UNC (2023). Student movements in the 1960s and ‘70s called for affirmative action in efforts to increase Black and brown enrollment in U.S. universities. Though legal decisions have debated what affirmative action can look like, affirmative action remains an important tool to increase diversity in higher education. Alongside attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion in states like Florida, Texas and Louisiana, where SDS chapters are currently engaging in struggles against university administrations, the SFFA decisions are certain to make higher education for Black and brown students even less accessible.

Florida members of SDS, the Tampa 5, were arrested on felony charges and are being put on trial for protesting similar attacks on education by Governor Ron DeSantis.

Rally speaker Maggie Moynihan of MNAAC spoke about the contradictions the UMN presents when they invite a Supreme Court justice with a track record of harming women and students of color. “As a white-majority school, the University of Minnesota has an especially important duty to provide its marginalized students with a diverse and inclusive educational experience,” said Moynihan. “Amy Coney Barrett is a threat to all working-class and marginalized people in the United States and the university administrators have invited this threat to spread her hateful ideology to students on this campus. The message this decision sends is clear. The university does not value the safety of the women, people of color, immigrants, or queer people on this campus.”

Speaker Bryce Riesner of SDS reminded the UMN administration that when they invited Barrett to campus, they had invited “a representative of bigotry.” Speaking against the fallacy of “free speech,’”Riesner pointed out that the university has the power to draw the line at hate and intolerance. “I have so many conservative family and friends who have no hatred in their heart for anyone. [Barrett] does not represent them,” said Riesner. “Her fundamentalist beliefs are not conservative. What she practices in her home is her business, but when she takes a seat as a Supreme Court justice, her beliefs affect all of us!”

During the rally, a handful of experienced UMN SDS members disrupted Barrett’s lecture inside Northrop Hall, where over 1500 attendees sat. Video of the interaction posted to the chapter’s @umnsds Instagram account shows protesters chanting “Not the court! Not the state! The people must decide their fate!” and “When affirmative action is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

In their rally speech, Sasmit Rahman recounted the experience of being removed from the lecture, stating that the removal was a cowardly act by Barrett, who apparently refused to acknowledge the protesters. “You’re so comfortable stripping us of our rights,” Rahman said of Barrett, “but too scared to face the consequences of your bigoted decisions! Shame on you Amy, you fucking coward!”

Over a dozen rally speakers represented progressive grassroots organizations across the Twin Cities. These organizations include the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Young Democratic Socialists of America, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar, Students for Climate Justice, Anti-War Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and local trade unions.

Progressive organizations agree that giving Barrett a platform is a disgrace to the UMN and that we must fight back.

Abortion is a human right!

Defend affirmative action and queer rights!

No to Amy Coney Barrett!

#MinneapolisMN #Minneapolis #AmyConeyBarrett #SDS #MNAAC #UMN #ReproductiveJustice #Abortion #SupremeCourt #AffirmativeAction #RoevWade

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following joint call to action from the Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee and the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee.

Since the summer of 2022, the fight for reproductive rights has been front and center in the people’s movements, as the Supreme Court has demonstrated that long held protections and fundamental human rights can be stripped from the masses quickly and without remorse. The overturning of Roe vs. Wade on June 24, 2022 effectively revoked federal protections for a person’s right to an abortion, meaning that states with conservative majorities across the country have been able to pass drastic abortion bans and restrictions. This is an attack on the women’s and reproductive rights movement which has fought long and hard for these freedoms, as well as an attack on accessible healthcare for all, and on the working class in general.

Birth control and the ability to terminate a pregnancy are basic forms of bodily autonomy. The overturning of Roe has reminded us that victories for bodily autonomy come from struggle, as people marched in the thousands last summer across the United States and continue to do so, and that the fight against the Christian Right is far from over. A recent battle over the F.D.A. approval of Mifepristone, a drug used in over half of U.S. abortions and which many people rely on when receiving an abortion at home or by mail, has demonstrated the effectiveness of grassroots struggle in fighting back against the anti-abortion agenda.

On April 15, 2023 activists and supporters in Milwaukee heeded the call of Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee (RJAM) to gather in protest outside the Milwaukee County Courthouse in opposition to the attacks against Mifepristone. This was only one of many protests to occur for the National Call to Action, since news broke of a decision by Matthew Kacsmaryk, a U.S. District judge based out of Amarillo, Texas, to suspend the F.D.A. approval of the medication. The fight to save access to Mifepristone was yet another hurdle in the broader struggle for bodily autonomy in Wisconsin where assisting, receiving and providing abortions is currently a felony charge due to State Statute 940.04. RJAM has been fighting for abortion access since the reinstatement of the nearly 200-year old law. The grassroots movement led by RJAM has taken many steps forward in the fight against the abortion ban. Some achievements include having a resolution passed by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors stating that they do not agree with the current state laws, and having an advisory referendum on this most recent spring ballot that showed 76% of Milwaukee County voters wanted access to safe and legal abortion. Their fight to make Milwaukee an abortion sanctuary continues through two on-going initiatives. The first is forcing Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chishlom to sign a pledge stating he will dismiss all abortion cases, and the second is to win funding for Milwaukee County Employees’ travel expenses accrued from needing to receive abortion services out of state.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, activists in the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) simultaneously answered the call to defend Mifepristone with an emergency protest outside of Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office. With Minnesota acting as a sanctuary state for abortion in the upper Midwest, organizing efforts have focused on making abortion as accessible as possible, so that Minnesotans, as well as individuals from surrounding states where abortion is illegal, such as Wisconsin, can receive the reproductive healthcare they deserve. By calling this action and advocating for the protection of Mifepristone and medication abortion, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee demonstrated their solidarity with the fight for abortion access nationwide. This spirit of solidarity in Minnesota has been consistent from the initial Dobbs decision and the overturning of Roe, when protesters in Minneapolis took to the streets by the thousands to defend reproductive rights, even if those rights were not under immediate attack in their state. The Minnesota Abortion Action Committee, as well as other reproductive justice forces, have translated that mass mobilization into campaigns for strengthening the legalization of abortion in Minnesota, creating protections for abortion providers, and terminating the state funding of predatory anti-abortion centers or “Crisis Pregnancy Centers”. It is a direct result of this organizing and mass protest that abortion rights are now stronger than ever in Minnesota. Even so, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee continues to demand more of those in power— more clinics, more funding, more restrictions on institutions operated by the Christian Right to deny individuals information and decision making power about their pregnancies— because the stronger women’s and reproductive rights are in Minnesota, the more people in the Midwest can access reproductive healthcare.

It is grassroots efforts, just like Reproductive Justice Actions – Milwaukee’s and MN Abortion Action Committee, that has shown politicians across the country that the people want access to safe and legal abortion and they want it now! As history has shown us, we cannot trust politicians to protect our fight for bodily autonomy no matter what side they are on. They have failed us, they had 50 years to create solid laws around legal abortion and now we are left scrambling. It will take more than politicians to save us, we have to continue to show up in these streets and demand our voices be heard. It is the power of the people who advocated for our reproductive rights in the first place and we will do it again.

Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee is calling on the people and activists around the country to mobilize on June 24, the day that marks a year since the overturning of Roe. They are calling for a National Day of Action in the hopes of mobilizing women and others to continue the process of building a nationwide grassroots movement to restore national abortion access. The demands of this day of action include: reinstate Roe v. Wade and codify abortion access, federal funding for reproductive health and women's health, and public access to contraceptives and menstrual products for all.

Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee will be hosting their event on June 24th at 12:00pm at Dontre Hamilton/Red Arrow Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Join MN Abortion Action Committee at their event on June 24th at 1pm, located at Humphrey Circle in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

We’ve seen the effort it took to get Roe established, but Roe is the floor when it comes to the possibilities of what reproductive healthcare can be. We must build a better and more sustainable system for our communities. With a nationwide grassroots movement we can continue to fight back and achieve nationwide legal abortion access on demand!

#UnitedStates #RoeVWade #AbortionRights

Baton Rouge, LA – A crowd of about 100 people gathered on Sunday, January 22, at Galvez Plaza in front of Louisiana's Old State Capitol building in Baton Rouge to march on the current capitol building in protest of Louisiana's abortion ban.

Although the streets were mostly empty on the quiet Sunday afternoon, marchers refused to go unnoticed, holding signs and chanting. Organizers yelled through megaphones, “When abortion rights are under attack, what do we do?” The crowd roared in response, “Stand up! Fight back!”

Nancy Davis organized the march, with support from women's rights groups including the National Organization for Women, Planned Parenthood, and Real Name Campaign.

Davis' personal story became national news last summer when she had to travel to New York state for an abortion. Her doctors determined her pregnancy was unviable due to acrania, a condition where a fetus' skull and brain would never form. Under Louisiana law, abortion is only legal if doctors determine the mother's life is at risk. “I was forced to carry my baby to bury my baby,” she would later say on the steps of the capitol, holding back tears.

Once at the capitol building, capitol security flanked the protesters. Speakers made impassioned speeches, asked the crowd to donate to their nonprofits, and urged everyone to vote for Democratic candidates. Few of speakers mentioned abortion rights as a working-class issue, if at all. For example, Democrat State Senator Royce Duplessis told the crowd, “I will fight for affordable healthcare and a fair day’s wage for a fair day's work.”

The final speaker, Serena Sojic-Borne of Real Name Campaign, pushed back against the senator's vague promises. “We have to demand concrete policies from politicians, even if it means taking to the streets. We have to drag them kicking and screaming over the coals if that's what it takes!” she shouted. Her words stirred the crowd to cheers and applause, to the senator's dismay.

#BatonRougeLA #RoeVWade #reproductiveFreedom #AbortionRights

Tampa, FL – On Sunday, January 22, a coalition of Tampa activist groups led a 150-person march across downtown for reproductive rights. The 50th anniversary of of Roe v. Wade became a nationwide day of action rather than a day of celebration due to the Supreme Court overturning nationwide abortion rights last June.

“It was great to partner with some wonderful organizations to get folks out here on the 50th anniversary of Roe. To really make a statement and let our elected officials know that we’re not going to sit back quietly while they strip us of our reproductive freedoms,” said Heather St. Amand, west central Florida regional director of For Our Future Florida and an organizer of the march.

In addition to the overturning of Roe last year, Florida had a 15-week abortion ban signed into law. The ban has no exceptions for rape or incest. Despite this ban, those in southern states where abortion is illegal travel to Florida for access. Protecting the right to abortion in Florida will affect the south as a whole.

After  speeches from a variety of groups, protesters marched across downtown Tampa, chanting, “Not the church, not the state! People must decide their fate!” and “When abortion access is under attack, what do we do? Act up, fight back!”

More attacks on abortion in Florida are likely this year. Despite a legal appeal that suspended the 15-week abortion ban, Governor Ron Desantis overturned the court order less than a week later. When State Attorney Andrew Warren spoke against enforcing abortion bans, the Desantis administration removed him from office and appointed a Republican state attorney. A U.S. district judge  this January ruled Warren’s removal was illegal but is unable to enforce the decision because of jurisdictional issues.

Florida’s next legislative session begins in March. With a right-wing majority in the state after the 2022 midterms, the pressure from activists is needed to keep abortion legal.

St. Amand said they “will be getting folks engaged by directing them to the different groups that are heading up to Tallahassee to speak to legislators about this.”

Fifty years after Roe v. Wade, the fight to protect abortion continues. It’s a struggle that has not been forgotten since the Supreme Court decision.

#TampaFL #RoeVWade #reproductiveFreedom #AbortionRights

Milwaukee, WI – On the evening of January 18, Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee (RJA-M) held a press conference and small rally outside of the Milwaukee County Safety Building. This press conference called on Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm, to sign a pledge that echoes the promise he made in June of last year, after the fall of Roe v. Wade. It states that neither he nor his office will prosecute anyone under State Statute 940.04, which is an 1849 abortion ban that targets abortion providers.

RJA-M demands that DA Chisholm hold up his promise to his community and send the signed pledge back to them ASAP. “We intend to deliver this signed pledge to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, along with a community petition demanding the police adopt a standard operating procedure that truly does protect and serve our community, by refusing to investigate or arrest individuals under, or otherwise indulge, this outdated piece of legislation,” stated RJA-M Chair Lauren Forbush.

RJA-M plans to stay attentive to this call to action and will continue to hold actions to pressure the district attorney until the pledge is signed.

#MilwaukeeWI #RoeVWade #reproductiveFreedom #AbortionRights

The campaign to vote Yes on Proposal 3 also boosted voter turnout for the Democratic Party on November 8. On November 9 it was announced that the Democratic Party won both the Michigan House and Senate, as well as re-elected Democrats to all the top spots, led by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The last time Democrats held power like this was 1984.

It was ultimately grassroots organizing and door-knocking that provided a road to victory on reproductive healthcare during this voting cycle. Across the state more than a dozen members and friends of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization canvassed for abortion rights. They educated and talked to working people using the Reproductive Freedom for All literature, a partnership of the ACLU of Michigan, Michigan Voices, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan.

In Grand Rapids, doorknockers blanketed all three wards over six Saturdays, speaking with hundreds of registered voters. As volunteers they answered questions about reproductive rights and the ridiculous right-wing attack ads. Many people they spoke with said they were voting for Proposal 3 and the Democratic Party, but also expressed disappointment, and sometimes anger with the national Democrats.

“As a FRSO member it is important to help with causes that are good for workers and connect us face to face, to hear and discuss their needs and concerns,” explained Mike DeRuiter, who canvassed for Proposal 3.

Proposal 3 was on the ballot in Michigan’s November 8 midterm elections because of the most successful petition drive ever performed in the state. More than 730,000 voters signed forms to put the question of legalized abortion on the ballot. Voters were eager to keep the reproductive rights fought for in the past.

This came after the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June. This new ruling declared that the constitutional right to abortion was no longer in the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. It caused a chain reaction of loss of reproductive rights across the nation. According to the New York Times, “Most abortions are banned within at least 13 states.”

Right-wing opposition groups, especially the Catholic Church, also organized against Proposal 3, using deceitful tactics and unclear wording to undermine and confuse voters going into the midterms. Ad campaigns produced by these opposition groups present Proposal 3 as an extremist affront.

“The reactionaries don’t make sense. Everyone I talked to while canvassing thought that Proposal 3 was neither confusing, nor extreme, when we actually talked to them about it,” said Cherie Stoll who canvassed with FRSO.

Proposal 3 is simply an amendment to the Michigan Constitution. It promises to grant citizens of Michigan the same level of availability to abortion services they had with the 1970 Roe v. Wade decision. However, it does not ensure access to reproductive healthcare for poor women and LGBTQ people. It avoids funding for Black, Latino, American Indian and immigrants whose access to expensive medical procedures may be limited. Given the backwards abortion laws in neighboring Indiana, it means Michigan will see people coming over the border.

With seemingly settled issues such as abortion rights being attacked by the Republicans, it means there is still a long way to go in the fight for reproductive freedom.

#GrandRapidsMichigan #GrandRapidsMI #abortion #RoeVWade #reproductiveRights #AbortionRights

Minneapolis, MN – On October 7, over 40 students and community members gathered at Morrill Hall at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis to demand that the university administration take action to expand abortion access on campus. The crowd marched down Washington Avenue before arriving at Moos Tower, where the University of Minnesota medical school is located.

The action was organized by the UMN chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, who have been organizing around women and reproductive rights on the University of Minnesota campus, as well as the Twin Cities area more generally, since the overturn of Roe v. Wade earlier this year.

SDS presented several demands, including a newly updated reproductive health training module for incoming freshman, a well-funded center for reproductive health resources and an abortion clinic on every University of Minnesota campus, and for the university to cease business with states that ban abortion.

Sophomore Olivia Sepich, an SDS member, presented the demands and was the first to speak in front of Morrill Hall. She reminded attendants, “The most important thing we have is each other and the communities that we build.” Other speakers in the first half of the protest included Aarushi Sen representing Students for Climate Justice and Olivia Cru