How To...
DEFEND ABORTION CLINICS, ESCORT PATIENTS, and STAND UP FOR ABORTION ON DEMAND AND WITHOUT APOLOGY!
How to Defend a Clinic or Escort Patients:
The idea of defending a clinic or escorting patients is a way to use your body and your time to counter the constant harassment, shaming, and threats that anti-abortion harassers (antis) throw at women and staff at most clinics across this country.
Contact and visit any abortion clinics in your area. Find out if there are antis at their clinic. Also, find out if there are pro-choice clinic defenders or escorts that are already organized to assist patients entering the clinic. If so, join with it and bring as many people as you can to be part of this. If not, volunteer to start one.
Usually the main days that escorts are needed are on the weekends when most women are able to come in because they don't have work or school and this is when there are the most antis out harassing them. Find out what day or days are the busiest and organize as many people as possible to come out.
Escorting usually means wearing some sort of identifying vest and physically escorting patients from their vehicles all the way until they are inside the clinic doors. It is the job of the escort to place themselves between the anti-abortion harassers and the patient so as to prevent them from being touched, blocked, or shamed and harassed. The escorts must respect the patient's space and make very clear that they are there to assist them into the clinic (often it is difficult for a patient to discern who is harassing her and who is there to help her so it is important to be as clear as possible). It is also the job of the escort to reassure the patient; often by saying simple like, “Welcome to [name of the clinic]! What ever your reason for being here is the right reason, these people don't know you and this clinic and staff is going to take very good care of you.” Do not engage in physical or other confrontations with the antis.
Why Escort?
Abortion counselors across the country report that there is a dramatic difference in how patients feel after entering a clinic that has protesters depending on whether or not there are escorts. When there are no escorts, the levels of emotional distress, shame, sadness, and anger are much higher. Some women are even intimidated or guilted out of entering the clinic. However, when there are escorts the patients are reassured that they are making a safe decision that is right for them and their whole experience is far improved.
Defending and escorting at clinics also has a big impact on ensuring the safety of the doctors and clinic staff. Eight people have been killed by anti-abortion violence and there have been hundreds of incidents of arson, bombing, invasions, and threats. It is important for the doctors and staff to feel appreciated and not isolated and involving the community in escorting makes a very big difference in this. At the same time, having escorts out in front puts fanatics on notice that the there is deep support for the clinic. Escorts can and should also keep records of antis who are particularly aggressive or threatening.
Forging and Sustaining a Community of Escorts
Escorting is very rewarding in that you see immediately the impact you are having on women's lives and you learn every more deeply the true hostility towards women that drives most of the anti-abortion movement. At the same time, enduring the harassment of religious fanatics over and over again and watching the toll this takes on women can be draining. It is important that escorts support each other and it is a very good idea to have a regular time for people to hang out and talk after each (or most) mornings of escorting. It is a good idea for the escorts to talk about how they are feeling, to explore questions that come up (including claims made by the antis that they don't know how to answer – as always, we urge you to email us at StopPatriarchy@gmail.com with any questions you are hit with), ideas for involving more people, and whatever else comes up.
Its also a good idea to watch a film about abortion together (see our list here [[Coming Soon!]]) or discuss the materials about the science of abortion and why this battle is raging so fiercely available HERE. The more people understand the larger context of what is going on at the clinics, the more confident they will be and the more the meaning of what they are doing will be clear.
Continue to Reach Out and Make It Easy to Get Involved
While it makes a huge difference for individuals to make the commitment to be out every week or very regularly, it is also important that those who can only participate once every month or two be welcomed and made to feel their efforts matter. Often the need to be at the clinic is so great that a small group doesn't feel they have the additional time to do outreach to involve new people. As counter-intuitive as it seems, it is vital to carve out the time (even if it means spending slightly less time at the clinic doors) to reach out to new people and increase your overall collective capacity. With every new person who escorts, not only do they have a concrete impact on the patients they assist that day but they learn first hand in a deeper way the real impact of the war on women. These people are often the most compelling in going out and spreading the word and encouraging others to get involved at the clinic and in other ways.
Pay Attention to Your Safety and Protect Your Privacy
The antis have a record of threatening, committing violence against, setting up for arrest, and stalking clinic staff and escorts. As such, it is extremely important that people who are escorting do not make it easier for the antis to learn a lot of personal details about them. Escorts should never use last names in front of the antis. We even discourage using your real first name in front of the antis; we recommend that everyone come up with nicknames.
Be aware that Facebook is one of the LEAST PRIVATE means of communication there is. If you are going to organize political activities of any kind over Facebook (including escorting), consider creating a special FB account for your nickname that is not linked to all your personal and family details.
Also, refrain from having conversation with the antis or the police about yourself personally. It is not their business whether you have had an abortion, what you or your parents do for a living, where you go to school, whether you have kids, where you live, whether you go to church, etc. You are not out there because of your personal details, you are out there for the women who are being harassed. Any time an anti or law enforcement asks you anything personal, simply say, “I am not going to share that with you,” and walk away. Don't be fooled by the antis who come off sweet as honey, even if they themselves truly “wouldn't hurt a fly” it doesn't mean that they won't share your business with others who are much more dangerous. And be aware that law enforcement has often sided with the antis in confrontations and overall has a history of surveilling and suppressing progressive and radical political activities. There is no good reason for them to learn about everyone involved in standing up for the liberation of women.
Also, do not allow antis or police into your meetings. They are not attending your meetings to help figure out how to defend abortion access or even to find out what they think about the question of abortion, the only reason they would try to attend is to learn more about the individuals and the plans of those who are putting themselves on the line to defend women's right to abortion. Not only is this none of their business, this kind of information can be used to harm those who are doing the right thing and to intimidate others in the process.
The point in taking certain precautionary measures is not to be paranoid or paralyzed by fear. It is precisely because of these precautions that you should have much greater ease of mind being out very boldly and confidently standing with the women who need your assistance.
Contact and visit any abortion clinics in your area. Find out if there are antis at their clinic. Also, find out if there are pro-choice clinic defenders or escorts that are already organized to assist patients entering the clinic. If so, join with it and bring as many people as you can to be part of this. If not, volunteer to start one.
Usually the main days that escorts are needed are on the weekends when most women are able to come in because they don't have work or school and this is when there are the most antis out harassing them. Find out what day or days are the busiest and organize as many people as possible to come out.
Escorting usually means wearing some sort of identifying vest and physically escorting patients from their vehicles all the way until they are inside the clinic doors. It is the job of the escort to place themselves between the anti-abortion harassers and the patient so as to prevent them from being touched, blocked, or shamed and harassed. The escorts must respect the patient's space and make very clear that they are there to assist them into the clinic (often it is difficult for a patient to discern who is harassing her and who is there to help her so it is important to be as clear as possible). It is also the job of the escort to reassure the patient; often by saying simple like, “Welcome to [name of the clinic]! What ever your reason for being here is the right reason, these people don't know you and this clinic and staff is going to take very good care of you.” Do not engage in physical or other confrontations with the antis.
Why Escort?
Abortion counselors across the country report that there is a dramatic difference in how patients feel after entering a clinic that has protesters depending on whether or not there are escorts. When there are no escorts, the levels of emotional distress, shame, sadness, and anger are much higher. Some women are even intimidated or guilted out of entering the clinic. However, when there are escorts the patients are reassured that they are making a safe decision that is right for them and their whole experience is far improved.
Defending and escorting at clinics also has a big impact on ensuring the safety of the doctors and clinic staff. Eight people have been killed by anti-abortion violence and there have been hundreds of incidents of arson, bombing, invasions, and threats. It is important for the doctors and staff to feel appreciated and not isolated and involving the community in escorting makes a very big difference in this. At the same time, having escorts out in front puts fanatics on notice that the there is deep support for the clinic. Escorts can and should also keep records of antis who are particularly aggressive or threatening.
Forging and Sustaining a Community of Escorts
Escorting is very rewarding in that you see immediately the impact you are having on women's lives and you learn every more deeply the true hostility towards women that drives most of the anti-abortion movement. At the same time, enduring the harassment of religious fanatics over and over again and watching the toll this takes on women can be draining. It is important that escorts support each other and it is a very good idea to have a regular time for people to hang out and talk after each (or most) mornings of escorting. It is a good idea for the escorts to talk about how they are feeling, to explore questions that come up (including claims made by the antis that they don't know how to answer – as always, we urge you to email us at StopPatriarchy@gmail.com with any questions you are hit with), ideas for involving more people, and whatever else comes up.
Its also a good idea to watch a film about abortion together (see our list here [[Coming Soon!]]) or discuss the materials about the science of abortion and why this battle is raging so fiercely available HERE. The more people understand the larger context of what is going on at the clinics, the more confident they will be and the more the meaning of what they are doing will be clear.
Continue to Reach Out and Make It Easy to Get Involved
While it makes a huge difference for individuals to make the commitment to be out every week or very regularly, it is also important that those who can only participate once every month or two be welcomed and made to feel their efforts matter. Often the need to be at the clinic is so great that a small group doesn't feel they have the additional time to do outreach to involve new people. As counter-intuitive as it seems, it is vital to carve out the time (even if it means spending slightly less time at the clinic doors) to reach out to new people and increase your overall collective capacity. With every new person who escorts, not only do they have a concrete impact on the patients they assist that day but they learn first hand in a deeper way the real impact of the war on women. These people are often the most compelling in going out and spreading the word and encouraging others to get involved at the clinic and in other ways.
Pay Attention to Your Safety and Protect Your Privacy
The antis have a record of threatening, committing violence against, setting up for arrest, and stalking clinic staff and escorts. As such, it is extremely important that people who are escorting do not make it easier for the antis to learn a lot of personal details about them. Escorts should never use last names in front of the antis. We even discourage using your real first name in front of the antis; we recommend that everyone come up with nicknames.
Be aware that Facebook is one of the LEAST PRIVATE means of communication there is. If you are going to organize political activities of any kind over Facebook (including escorting), consider creating a special FB account for your nickname that is not linked to all your personal and family details.
Also, refrain from having conversation with the antis or the police about yourself personally. It is not their business whether you have had an abortion, what you or your parents do for a living, where you go to school, whether you have kids, where you live, whether you go to church, etc. You are not out there because of your personal details, you are out there for the women who are being harassed. Any time an anti or law enforcement asks you anything personal, simply say, “I am not going to share that with you,” and walk away. Don't be fooled by the antis who come off sweet as honey, even if they themselves truly “wouldn't hurt a fly” it doesn't mean that they won't share your business with others who are much more dangerous. And be aware that law enforcement has often sided with the antis in confrontations and overall has a history of surveilling and suppressing progressive and radical political activities. There is no good reason for them to learn about everyone involved in standing up for the liberation of women.
Also, do not allow antis or police into your meetings. They are not attending your meetings to help figure out how to defend abortion access or even to find out what they think about the question of abortion, the only reason they would try to attend is to learn more about the individuals and the plans of those who are putting themselves on the line to defend women's right to abortion. Not only is this none of their business, this kind of information can be used to harm those who are doing the right thing and to intimidate others in the process.
The point in taking certain precautionary measures is not to be paranoid or paralyzed by fear. It is precisely because of these precautions that you should have much greater ease of mind being out very boldly and confidently standing with the women who need your assistance.
How to Hold a Demonstration and/or March
for Abortion On Demand and Without Apology!
We must rely on ourselves to defeat the attacks, to shatter the stigma, and to defend/expand access to abortion. This requires publicly manifesting our support for Abortion On Demand and Without Apology! and exposing and opposing the institutions and forces that would enslave women to forced motherhood by taking this right away. Check out the below video of the rally for Abortion on Demand and Without Apology in Fargo, North Dakota in August 2013.
To hold a demonstration for Abortion On Demand and Without Apology!, here's what you should do:
Choose a location that is highly visible and easy to get to and/or one that concentrates the attacks on women (such as the office of a particularly vicious legislator or a church that has spearheaded anti-abortion attacks).
Set a date and time. This can either be in conjunction with a development in the war on women (such as the date of a court case surrounding a new restriction, of a speech by a prominent anti-abortion figure, etc.) or it could be chosen just because it is about f-ing time people came out publicly for women's right to abortion on demand and without apology.
Order or make a ton of signs. You can order the beautiful bright orange “Abortion On Demand and Without Apology!” signs and matching stickers HERE. These are politically clear and outrageously eye-catching and they show up very well in photos. If you choose to make your own signs (either in addition to ordering signs or instead of it), be sure that your message is clear and that you prominently display the “StopPatriarchy.org” website on the signs. You want people who are driving by or who see your photos on the news or in the newspaper to be able to learn more and get involved if they are supportive.
Spread the word. Send us the information about your rally so we can spread the word to others we know in your area and post it up on our website. Make up a flyer stating clearly the time and place for your rally and the slogan, “Abortion On Demand and Without Apology!” Make sure your flyer also has the website, “StopPatriarchy.org” for more information. Include some information about the current state of emergency on abortion rights; here [[link to a sample text – take this from the flyer we did this year for Roe v. Wade 41 anniversary but stripped of the particular protest details]] is a template that you can use. Also, consider putting the whole Call to Action or the Statement for Abortion On Demand on the back of your flyer.
Call the press. Make a short press release about your action stating clearly when and where it will be, the purpose of the protest, and include a quote from an organizer as to what you seek to accomplish. You can review a sample press release here [[Coming Soon!]]. Send this out to local media a day or two before your protest and make follow up calls to find out if they will be sending someone to cover the event. Also, designate one or two people to conduct interviews before or at the event and be prepared with a simple, straight-forward message. Things like, “Fetuses are not babies, abortion is not murder and women are not incubators,” and, “We are here because the taking away abortion, forcing women to have children against their will, is a form of enslavement,” are pack a lot of clarifying content into a very short statement.
Document your event. Be sure that someone is assigned to take photos and, possibly, record parts of the rally. You will definitely want to send in to us a write-up about the protest, include who came out, what kinds of things were said, why people came, what the response was of passersby (both friendly and unfriendly), and whatever else you think was significant. Send this in to us along with your photos.
Designate one person to deal with police and other authorities. People have the right to assemble and to give voice to their political views without the police or other authorities gathering information about them or harassing them. It is also important that the authorities not be allowed to disorganize the event by interacting with different people while they are trying to lead a protest. For this reason, designate one person to interact with the police. It is good to have a lawyer with you, or at least one whose number you can call if there is a need.
Have at least one or two people who are ready to lead the demonstration and/or march. This person should welcome people and speak about the great importance of being out on the street for abortion rights. Don't assume that everyone knows what you know about the issue, take the time to explain it and why it matters. Bring forward others who want to speak about why they are there, including encouraging women to speak publicly about their own abortions. Have printed out copies of THESE CHANTS and be ready to lead people to make a lot of noise!
Sign people up! Make sure you have the Stop Patriarchy sign-up sheet and make sure you get contact information for everyone who is willing so that you can involve them in your chapter going forward. Send copies of these contacts into the national contact list (email: StopPatriarchy@gmail.com) and keep a copy for yourselves.
COMING SOON... Expose and Protest a fake “clinic” (ie: a “Pregnancy Crisis Center”)
Choose a location that is highly visible and easy to get to and/or one that concentrates the attacks on women (such as the office of a particularly vicious legislator or a church that has spearheaded anti-abortion attacks).
Set a date and time. This can either be in conjunction with a development in the war on women (such as the date of a court case surrounding a new restriction, of a speech by a prominent anti-abortion figure, etc.) or it could be chosen just because it is about f-ing time people came out publicly for women's right to abortion on demand and without apology.
Order or make a ton of signs. You can order the beautiful bright orange “Abortion On Demand and Without Apology!” signs and matching stickers HERE. These are politically clear and outrageously eye-catching and they show up very well in photos. If you choose to make your own signs (either in addition to ordering signs or instead of it), be sure that your message is clear and that you prominently display the “StopPatriarchy.org” website on the signs. You want people who are driving by or who see your photos on the news or in the newspaper to be able to learn more and get involved if they are supportive.
Spread the word. Send us the information about your rally so we can spread the word to others we know in your area and post it up on our website. Make up a flyer stating clearly the time and place for your rally and the slogan, “Abortion On Demand and Without Apology!” Make sure your flyer also has the website, “StopPatriarchy.org” for more information. Include some information about the current state of emergency on abortion rights; here [[link to a sample text – take this from the flyer we did this year for Roe v. Wade 41 anniversary but stripped of the particular protest details]] is a template that you can use. Also, consider putting the whole Call to Action or the Statement for Abortion On Demand on the back of your flyer.
Call the press. Make a short press release about your action stating clearly when and where it will be, the purpose of the protest, and include a quote from an organizer as to what you seek to accomplish. You can review a sample press release here [[Coming Soon!]]. Send this out to local media a day or two before your protest and make follow up calls to find out if they will be sending someone to cover the event. Also, designate one or two people to conduct interviews before or at the event and be prepared with a simple, straight-forward message. Things like, “Fetuses are not babies, abortion is not murder and women are not incubators,” and, “We are here because the taking away abortion, forcing women to have children against their will, is a form of enslavement,” are pack a lot of clarifying content into a very short statement.
Document your event. Be sure that someone is assigned to take photos and, possibly, record parts of the rally. You will definitely want to send in to us a write-up about the protest, include who came out, what kinds of things were said, why people came, what the response was of passersby (both friendly and unfriendly), and whatever else you think was significant. Send this in to us along with your photos.
Designate one person to deal with police and other authorities. People have the right to assemble and to give voice to their political views without the police or other authorities gathering information about them or harassing them. It is also important that the authorities not be allowed to disorganize the event by interacting with different people while they are trying to lead a protest. For this reason, designate one person to interact with the police. It is good to have a lawyer with you, or at least one whose number you can call if there is a need.
Have at least one or two people who are ready to lead the demonstration and/or march. This person should welcome people and speak about the great importance of being out on the street for abortion rights. Don't assume that everyone knows what you know about the issue, take the time to explain it and why it matters. Bring forward others who want to speak about why they are there, including encouraging women to speak publicly about their own abortions. Have printed out copies of THESE CHANTS and be ready to lead people to make a lot of noise!
Sign people up! Make sure you have the Stop Patriarchy sign-up sheet and make sure you get contact information for everyone who is willing so that you can involve them in your chapter going forward. Send copies of these contacts into the national contact list (email: StopPatriarchy@gmail.com) and keep a copy for yourselves.
COMING SOON... Expose and Protest a fake “clinic” (ie: a “Pregnancy Crisis Center”)
