Final Update from Debra Sweet on Today's Events

Debra and I  just spoke  and she gave her final report of today's events. She is glad that she was there and said it was worth being there. She was very heartened by the young feminists she met who she says were on fire and jumped right in to counter the antis.

At the heighth of things at around 1 pm there was about 100 pro-choice and abortion rights activists. At that point Terry O' Neil and Debra spoke. Debra says it was difficult to hear at times.  But later just before the antis marched it quieted down and the group of 100 gathered at the plaza and Debra spoke briefly about importance and necessity to take on this fight to protect abortion rights and stand up for women. She then asked the crowd why they had come today and passed around the mic. One person was from El Salvador and another from Chilie. This was very striking and moving as abortion is illegal in Latin America. There were students from American University, George Town University, George Washington University and Catholic Universities. There were also young staffers from Feminist Majority, NOW, and Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

Debra spoke to a lot of young anti-abortion people. Ages 15 and up. She was struck by how their lines are always changing. Many of them did not have good arguments to come back at her with. She pointed out that many of them are being told a bald faced lie: they've been told that abortion is killing huge proportions of women when in reality denying women the access to abortion and birth control is what kills women.

Many of the young people from the universities that came out to stand up for women and abortion rights have asked Debra to come speak at their schools. They are excited to hear that a film is being put together that features a talk by Dr. Susan Wicklund, abortion provider and Sunsara Taylor, writer for Revolution newspaper.

Debra will be writing more later about todays events so stay tuned for that.

Be sure to read the earlier reports beginning from top to bottom

Hi folks,

Jill McLaughlin here of World Can't Wait. I'm guest blogging on Debra Sweet's blog today as she reports to us about taking on the anti-women/anti-abortion groups who have the audacity to march on DC on the anniversary of Roe V. Wade. If ever there was a need for visible resistance to the onslaught of assaults on the rights of women it is now.

Here is what Debra reported earlier:Heading to DC to stand up to the anti-abortion, anti-women, anti-science, pro-patriarchy “March for Life!”

Sounds pretty determined to me. Stay tuned as I recieve updates from Debra!

Also today the trial of Scott Roedere starts today. He was the man who murdered Dr. George Tiller in May of last year. Dr. Tiller and other abortion providers are heros to women everywhere...we need to watch very closely what happens in this trial as it sure to set a precedent about providers and the women they care for.

Update

Here's what's happening at the face book event Celebrate Roe V. Wade Day. Here's a comment from someone:

Debra reports that there are about 100 abortion rights activists taking on all 75,000 antis in front of the Suprem Court. She reports many young women in the crowd of 100 taking on this fight for women everywhere. The scene is wild with holy rollers singing Christian rock and young people wearing red tape over their mouths with "Life" scrawled on it. I wonder if they would ever consider wearing a black hood and orange jump suit in solidarity with the detainees being held indefinitely and being tortured by our government...what about their lives? Or do they think of Black and Latina Women who are living lives forced poverty and oppression here in the United States...what about their lives...a fetus is not a person, but a woman is!

Here's a photo Debra sent