Planned Parenthood protest turns into women’s rights rally

Feb. 11--Amid a sea of bright pink hats, the small group of anti-abortion activists stood quietly with their posters. Some displayed fetuses, others statements of religious beliefs.

They were there on the curb in downtown Detroit to protest federal funding of Planned Parenthood as part of a bigger goal to one day make abortion illegal.

But to anyone who passed by Cass Avenue on Saturday morning, the anti-abortion demonstration in front of a Detroit Planned Parenthood clinic looked more like a women's rights rally. An estimated 300 abortion rights advocates took to the streets as a counter-demonstration to continue funding for Planned Parenthood. They argued that the organization provides essential life-changing and lifesaving services, including HIV prevention, STD testing, cancer screenings and family planning services.

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Planned Parenthood supporters fear the anti-abortion movement has gained political momentum in Washington: Both President Donald Trump and the majority-Republican Congress want to cut federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which provided more than a third of the nation's abortions in 2014. They also hope to ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Trump has pledged to sign both measures if they reach his desk.

To bolster that movement, more than 200 #DefundPP demonstrations took place Saturday, with 15 at Michigan Planned Parenthood clinics, including locations in Ferndale, Ann Arbor, Warren and Livonia.

For Kimberly Givens of Detroit, the protests are a slap in the face to women like her who relied on Planned Parenthood to bear her two children.

"Both of my children were born through Planned Parenthood. I took all of my prenatal care through Planned Parenthood. I did not go to a hospital. I did not see a gynecologist. I went to Planned Parenthood for both of their births," said Givens, who attended the event with her two children, Piper Smith, 15, and Logan Smith, 17.

"I believe in Planned Parenthood. My mom used it to birth me," said Piper who attended the rally wearing a sign around her neck that read: "I was born through Planned Parenthood."

Gina Shagena, 27, a graduate student at Wayne State University, said the Planned Parenthood debate is about more than abortions.

"Standing up for women's rights is really important," Shagena said, noting women's access to health care is at risk if Planned Parenthood loses funding.

"This is more than losing funding for abortions. People who are actually getting prenatal care could lose those services," said Shagena, who fears that if Planned Parenthood loses its federal funding, women will resort to having unsafe abortions "if we don't find them safe options."

Alexandra Meyer, 27, also a WSU grad student, agreed, saying she attended the rally both to support Planned Parenthood and protect a woman's right to choose whether she has a child.

"I feel like we should be able to make our own decisions," Meyer said.

Abortion rights advocate Kris Hamel, 56, of Detroit fought to contain her anger in front of the anti-abortion demonstrators, claiming, "These women don't care about women's health. ... Once you're here and living, they don't support (expletive)," she said within earshot of the abortion opponents.

Hamel cursed at one of them, an elderly woman who asked her, "Aren't you glad your mom had you?"

"She didn't have a choice," Hamel barked back, noting she was born before the constitutional right to have an abortion was affirmed.

"But aren't you glad that you're here?" the 80-year-old woman asked her.

"Sometimes. Sometimes not," Hamel shot back, then walked away.

Gerry Marson of Center Line said nothing in return. The retired nurse said she attended the rally "to defend life and show that there is another side."

So did Linda Rodriquez, a retired autoworker from Dearborn who came to the demonstration for one reason only: to protest abortion.

"I'm a Catholic Christian and I believe in life," she said.

Mary Mciver, 57, said the same, noting without life, no other issues matter.

"There's life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Without life, there is no liberty and there is no pursuit of happiness," she said.

Monica Miller, director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, which organized the event, said that, despite being outnumbered by abortion rights advocates, she believes her group will eventually prevail in getting Planned Parenthood defunded and making abortion illegal.

"We're not going to stop at anything," Miller said. "This is a long war, and this is just a battle."

While emotions were high, the event stayed peaceful and was even festive at times as a nearby fraternity blared music from a balcony while its members held up bright pink signs that read: "We support PP." At one point, one demonstrator on the street hollered up: "Play Spice Girls!" The fraternity obliged.

In Michigan, Planned Parenthood is one of 29 family-planning providers that receives federal funding, yet it sees about 65% of the state's needy patients who qualify for government assistance, supporters say. Federal funding makes up around 40% of its budget, with the rest coming from private donations.

If Planned Parenthood were to be defunded, women's rights activists argue, other health care providers would likely be unable to pick up its patient load. Moreover, this would have a disproportionate impact on low-income patients, who as a result may be left without access to birth control and other critical family planning services.

But for opponents, the bigger issue is abortion. Planned Parenthood, they argue, is the largest provider of abortions in America, performing over 300,000 per year. Anti-abortion advocates claim that prenatal care isn't offered at many Planned Parenthood locations, nor are mammograms, and that most clinics only offer ultrasounds if the procedure is needed for an abortion.

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Ruth Lednicer, director of media and communications for Planned Parenthood of Michigan, called the protests misguided. She noted that no federal dollars can be used for abortions and that the health centers offer other services like cancer screenings and birth control.

"The idea of cutting off Planned Parenthood to the thousands of people who depend on us (because of) a service that is not federally funded, it seems shortsighted," she has said.

A budget provision known as the Hyde Amendment already bans federal funding for Medicaid coverage of most abortions. Conservatives are hoping to see the rule made into a permanent law.

Americans remain deeply divided on abortion. The latest Gallup survey, released last spring, found that 47% of Americans described themselves as supporters of abortion rights, and 46% as opposed. It also found that 79% believed abortion should be legal in some or all circumstances.

Contact Tresa Baldas: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @Tbaldas. Free Press staff writer Kristen Shamus contributed to this report.

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