Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

reproductiverights

By Sarah Berlin

Seventy students and community members gathered outside of Tate Hall at the University of Minnesota to protest the “Abortion is Oppression” tour by Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life.  | Ashley Taylor-Gouge/watchmerisempls

Minneapolis, MN – On Monday, October 13, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) and University of Minnesota Students for a Democratic Society (UMN SDS) organized an “Abortion is Freedom” protest against an anti-abortion event on campus.

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By staff

Milwaukee protest at fake reproductive care clinic

Milwaukee, WI – Activists with Reproductive Justice Action-Milwaukee (RJAM), have been showing up consistently throughout the month of September to protest the newly opened Alliance Women's Clinic.

“Places like Alliance want to divert you from accurate and accessible healthcare,” stated a member of RJAM on September 15.

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By staff

Protesters holding signs.

Milwaukee, WI – On the afternoon of July 21, activists gathered for a picket outside of a vacant building on the outskirts of West Allis.

“Milwaukee, open your eyes! Fake clinics spread lies!” protesters chanted, as they lined themselves up in front of the building where Alliance Women’s Services was set to have its grand opening.

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By staff

A protester speaking into a megaphone in front of a banner.

Milwaukee, WI – Around 30 people gathered for a press conference and rally Wednesday, July 2 celebrating a landmark Wisconsin Supreme Court decision that effectively restored abortion access in the state. The court ruled 4-3 in favor that Wisconsin's 1849 law is not an abortion ban. This clarification removes the legal threat the ambiguous law posed to abortion providers since the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

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By staff

A crowd of people holding signs in front of a building.

Milwaukee, WI – More than 50 people gathered in the sweltering heat on Sunday, June 15, at the North Point Water Tower in Milwaukee, demanding restoration of abortion access after the three-year anniversary of the Dobbs vs. Jackson’s Women’s Health Organization decision. This extreme Supreme Court ruling in 2022 removed all federal protections for abortion, leaving the precedent for legality on a state-by-state basis. In turn, the rights to healthcare access are in a gray area everywhere, including Wisconsin.

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By Sarah Berlin

Twin Cities protesters chant in opposition to a “fun run” fundraiser by Abria Pregnancy Resource, an anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center.

Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, May 10, Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) protested a fundraiser hosted by Abria Pregnancy Resources, a Twin Cities anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center. Pro-abortion activists and community members alike lined a stretch of Lake Harriet Parkway while anti-abortion participants were participating in Abria’s ninth annual “Life is Wonderful 10K, 5K, Walk & Fun Run.”

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By staff

Milwaukee protest at fake clinic defends reproductive rights. 

Milwaukee, WI – On May 10, dozens of people picketed outside the Women’s Care Center on Milwaukee’s South Side, demanding an end to the deceptive “care” it provides. This facility is one of nine crisis pregnancy centers located in Milwaukee. Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are fake clinics that masquerade as facilities offering “all-option” pregnancy counseling, free ultrasounds, and pregnancy testing. However, they often lack trained medical staff and do not adhere to confidentiality regulations.

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By Anna Nunes

Abortion rights activists block harassers from reaching Planned Parenthood clinic.

Philadelphia PA – On April 18, an anti-abortion religious group called Mission Youth Philly planned to obstruct access to the Planned Parenthood at 12th and Locust Streets in Philadelphia’s gayborhood. In response, over 100 abortion rights activists and community members led by the Philly Abortion Rights Coalition gathered to prevent the anti-abortionists from intimidating patients accessing care and to show solidarity with the clinic-goers.

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By staff

A group of protesters marching holding a banner.

Madison, WI – On January 18, Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee (RJAM) stood at the forefront of the fight for reproductive freedom, participating in two powerful marches held simultaneously in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. These events were part of the People’s March National Day of Action, which drew thousands to the streets, united in their support of women’s and reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, workers’ rights, global solidarity, and immigrant rights.

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By Ly Mai Dang

St. Paul, MN – On the afternoon of Saturday, December 14, Twin Cities community members came together to protest outside the offices of Pro-Life Action Ministries, an anti-abortion Christian organization. The Minnesota Abortion Action Committee held a vigil to remember those who have passed away due to restrictions on abortion care, then transitioned into a rally to show that the community does not welcome Pro-Life Action Ministries and its hateful rhetoric.

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By Lestat Clemmer

Minneapolis protest defends womens and reproductive rights.   | Fight Back! News/staff

Minneapolis, MN – Around 50 people rallied for reproductive rights outside Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office on the brisk afternoon of Sunday, November 24. The Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) organized the protest, which came at a pivotal time given the re-election of Donald Trump, whose first-term Supreme Court appointees voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Since the election, organizers with MNAAC have emphasized the need to take action against a familiar administration, one which promises to further do away with abortion rights. Addressing the situation in Minnesota, MNAAC member Maggie Moynihan told the crowd, “Clinics that offer real help and healthcare are few and far between in Minnesota, but the people who need their services are many.”

Organizers chose Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office as the location for the rally to draw attention to the bipartisan failures of politicians to codify abortion and to end the genocide in Palestine. While Klobuchar has a commendable track record speaking in favor of reproductive rights, she has failed to meaningfully pursue her campaign promise of “reinstating Roe.” She has also failed to uphold human rights at large, voting to continue military aid to Israel as recently as November 20.

Other groups at the protest included the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Climate Justice Committee and Anti-War Committee, as well as many supporters in the movement for women’s and reproductive rights.

While the rally primarily focused on the right to safe access to abortion, speakers also drew connections to the fight for a free Palestine. Crista Ocampo of the Anti-War Committee phrased this solidarity well, stating “The politicians who are sending bombs and military aid to uphold apartheid occupation are the same politicians who are stripping our rights away here in the states.” Ocampo went on to say, “It doesn’t matter if it’s here in the U.S. or in Gaza or the West Bank, when our rights are under attack, we will use everything we have to fight back.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #WomensMovement #ReproductiveRights #Abortion #Trump #MNAAC

By June Gromis

Minneapolis vigil for Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Minneapolis, MN – On Thursday, October 4, 30 abortion rights organizers, allies and community members gathered to mourn the deaths and celebrate the lives of Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller. Thurman and Miller tragically passed away because they were unable to access lifesaving reproductive care, as a result of Georgia’s draconian anti-abortion laws. Their stories just recently came to light after the state’s maternal mortality review committee ruled both of their deaths preventable.

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Protesters rally against fake health clinic First Care in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Minneapolis, MN – On September 10, 40 people rallied to protest predatory anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy center” First Care. This marks the fifth protest of a First Care facility organized by the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) as part of their campaign to expose the deceptive and manipulative practices of these facilities.

During the protest, Jay Belsito, a member of UnRestrict MN and Gender Justice, recalled their experience with an anti-abortion center as a pregnant teenager in Saint Paul, Minnesota. They were misled about how far along they were in their pregnancy and given fake ultrasound images, a common tactic used to prevent people from making informed choices about their bodies and their health.

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By Naomi Retherford

Washington, D.C. – On Saturday, September 14, hundreds of activists from across the country gathered at Union Station lawn for the Gender Liberation March. The action brought into coalition local organizations, East coast regional groups, and national forces from the queer liberation, reproductive justice, feminist and Black liberation movements.

Beginning at noon, the primary organizers of the march and some important local Washington organizations addressed the crowd.

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By Esper Garcia

Minnesotans marching at the RNC.  | Brad Sigal/Brad Sigal Photos

Minneapolis, MN – On July 15, the Coalition to March on the RNC successfully brought more than 3500 protesters together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to protest against the racist, reactionary agenda of the Republican National Convention. 100 of these protesters arrived on coach buses from Minneapolis organized by the MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee and the MN Abortion Action Committee.

This convention is where Republican delegates met to choose their party’s presidential nominee, Donald Trump, known for his anti-immigrant and misogynistic statements and policies. The thousands of protesters from around the nation marched within sight and sound of the convention center, thanks to the Coalition’s years-long fight against the city for a militant march route.

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By staff

Milwaukee march reproductive rights in preparation for mass protest at the RNC.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Milwaukee, WI – On Saturday, June 22, around 40 people gathered in the rain to bring attention to the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision voted on by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ended federal abortion protections.

Co-sponsored by Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee (RJAM) and the Coalition to March on the RNC, the crowd gathered for several riveting speeches from members of the community, and marched on the Fiserv Forum, where the Republican National Convention is set to happen in a few weeks’ time.

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By Robyn Harbison and Kristen Bledsoe

Minneapolis, MN—On June 13, members of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) and their allies gathered for an emergency rally after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on mifepristone. Mifepristone is one of the two drugs commonly used for medication abortion. The ruling affects women and others’ healthcare across the entire country.

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By staff

Reproductive rights protest at fake abortion clinic.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Minneapolis, MN – On Friday, May 10, members of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) and their supporters protested outside of First Care Pregnancy Center, an anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy center” known for using deceptive tactics and spreading medical disinformation about abortion.

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By staff

Pro-reproductive rights protesters at Vice President Harris campaign event oppose the White House sponsoring the genocide in Gaza. | Fight Back! News/staff

Saint Paul, MN – On March 14, operating on short notice, organizers with the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC), workers from the reproductive justice movement and their supporters held an emergency protest outside a private event where Vice President Kamala Harris was set to speak on reproductive freedom.

Protesters gathered outside the venue with banners and signs, chanting to passersby in an effort to call attention to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, its particular impact on Palestinian women and girls, and Vice President Harris’s role in funding Israel’s military operations.

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By staff

International Women's Day celebrated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Fight Back! News/staff

Milwaukee, WI – To end the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine’s (WCJP) Day of Action with an exclamation point, the Milwaukee International Women’s Day Coalition convened hundreds for the celebration of this important working-class holiday.

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