Vol. 73/No. 26      July 13, 2009

Forty-five women and men, both new activists and seasoned veterans of clinic defense, gathered outside the Women’s Health Care Services clinic.

The defense guard was present from 9:30 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. At dusk, after most of the guard had dispersed, a small group of rightists placed flowers at the clinic fence, but left a few minutes later after two clinic defenders showed up.

The clinic has been closed in the wake of the May 31 fatal shooting of Tiller as he was attending church. The man accused in the killing is a longtime cadre of antiabortion and incipient fascist groups that carry out harassment of abortion providers and women seeking abortions.

Marla Patrick, coordinator of Kansas NOW, told the press, “Our original intent was to prevent them from doing their proverbial dance on a murdered man’s grave. The fact they changed plans tells me we were successful.”

Trina Wheeler, copresident of Wichita NOW, and a central organizer of the action, said, “I think we’ve had a little victory today.” Wheeler organized a rotation of volunteer guards to get water and breaks during the six-hour defense.

Young activists made placards and covered them with plastic wrap against the rain, carried out surveillance of the rightists’ activities at the Operation Rescue headquarters, and sent out appeals to help reinforce the defense lines when needed.

Throughout the day rightists, including Operation Rescue leader Troy Newman, drove by the clinic to take photos, write down license plate numbers, and yell at the defense guard.

On the defense line spirits were high. Throughout the day there was a discussion on what the rightist attacks signify, and how they can be defeated.

Amber Barnes, 24, a student at Wichita State University and a dancer, told the Militant, “I’m here for my rights. I’m here because someone died, and he was brave enough to go in there every day for our right to choose. I think Operation Rescue was scared because there were so many people out here.”

Cam Gentry, 59, said, “I’ve been doing clinic defense since 1991 here and at two other clinics. What’s next? We need to get young people involved. I was encouraged that the March for Women’s Lives [in 2004] had a lot of young people.”

Those defending the clinic also discussed the need to have a new abortion provider in Wichita.

Nicki Scheid, 32, who recently got involved by going to a rally to prevent funding cuts for Planned Parenthood, said, “After he [Dr. Tiller] was killed I helped organize the martyr guard at his funeral. We’re trying to figure out how to go forward from here—to get a new provider and to protect the provider. This action today is a message to the right, but also to a provider, that we will defend him.”
 
 
Related articles:
NOW conference discusses abortion, Afghanistan war
Australia rally defends 2 charged in abortion case  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home