Report from the Front Lines:
This spring, on the heels of the Congressional ban on intact dilation and extraction abortion (refered to as "partial-birth abortion" by the anti's), Operation Rescue announced a week-long event in Dayton, Ohio, for July 13-19. When we learned that Dayton is the home of Dr. Martin Haskell, who pioneered in the development of intact d&e, the Reproductive Rights Task Force of Refuse & Resist! was very concerned. When we saw the line-up of major past and present leaders of OR, and its "godfather", Joe Scheidler, scheduled to participate, we were more concerned. Operation Rescue personifies the reactionary agenda we're building a movement of resistance against.
A national mobilization by Operation Rescue demanded a national response. We made a decision to send some of our task force to Dayton to help mobilize broad pro-choice sentiment against what we expected to be Operation Rescue's attack on Dr. Haskell and late term abortion. We were concerned that Dayton could become another "Wichita" where anti-abortionists stayed for weeks, and the pro-choice movement nationally was not mobilized. Refuse & Resist!, working with Anti-Racist Action, was the only major national organization to mobilize for Dayton. We contacted the local clinics and other activists, and called on others to plan to come to Dayton. Members of our Task Force were in Dayton 3 weeks ahead of time to work with members of Anti-Racist Action, the local chapter of National Organization for Women, and Antioch College Students for Choice in developing a response to OR.
Going to Dayton was absolutely the right thing to do! We were able to challenge OR at every point, being on the spot when they blocked clinics and picketed a doctor's house, and in the media with a pro-choice message every time they got coverage. The response from local people was great: NOW activists and Antioch students housed us, transported and ran with us, and we met many people who were happy that pro-choice people were there. Otherwise, OR would not have been met by organized response, and their 4x6 bloody fetus photos would have been the only image seen. We can only say that if more pro-choice people would have publicized OR's plans, and been there in Dayton too, we could have had even more good effect.
OR was able to mobilize hundreds of people each day of their event, up to 800+ to hear Randall Terry. They brought 150-400 people to each of their "street activities". They had publicized their efforts to recruit high school youth at schools during the spring, and had "Joshua House" set up for special afternoon youth training. They had 50-70 young people, ages 5-18 in their training sessions which included training in how to quickly obey orders, and most of these appeared at clinics. Dr. Haskell's clinics in Cincinnati and Dayton were each blockaded one day, another clinic in Dayton had access blocked two different days for hours (escorts there used innovative techniques to get patients and staff in and out). A Cincinnati doctor's house was picketed by a crowd of 125, where access to the whole cul de sac was blocked by their presence and police. OR had a funeral and procession for fetal parts in the main square in Dayton, a night time vigil and later, an "ecclesiastical tribunal" at Dr. Haskell's clinic. During all these events, the police in 3 jurisdictions co-operated in letting OR put on a show; streets were blocked to the public (police let OR vehicles through, though) and in Dayton OR was allowed to set up huge loudspeakers on a pick-up truck and blast music toward the clinics. Those who blocked the door were given every opportunity to slowly move away, or allowed to stand for up to two hours. Only 4 of the approximately 100 people who blocked access were arrested.
Because we followed OR everywhere they went, they never had an open field. We knew that even if the clinics' ownership did not want pro-choice people on their property, we could still give encouragement to patients and staff alike. We had a simple banner that said "Dr. Haskell is a Hero for Helping Women" and signs which said "Abortion Providers Save Women's Lives". When OR screamed outside the doctor's house, we stood in front on his house and yelled "pro-choice, we support the doctor!" [something he heard and appreciated]. When OR brought 400 candle-carrying anti's one evening to Dr. Haskell's clinic, 50 of us were already there, in front of the clinic. When they "testified" about how abortion hurts women, 6 of our young women told the true stories of their abortions, caused in some cases by rape and abuse. When they preached that their "righteous God" would strike terror into the hearts of evil-doers", we sang "a woman has the right to live, a woman has the right to choose, a woman has the right to have a child and she has the right to refuse" showing that the pro-choice side has right on our side! And when OR held a "fetus funeral" on Courthouse Square, the presence of 70+ pro-choice demonstrators chanting continuously made their leaders have to respond that women "should be ashamed and guilty for having abortions!"
By being there, and attending all the events, we were able to observe the development of OR's political message, couched in Old Testament terms. The open advocacy of the submission of women has increased. Outright threats to doctors (praying for God to "take out" Dr. Haskell whether he repents or not!) and spreading of a wanted poster inside a building where a doctor resides indicate how serious they are at reducing the ranks of abortion providers.
The very intense week in Dayton was a great experience in activist groups working together. We began by developing "points of unity" which allowed groups and individuals to initiate and take responsibility for their own actions, while working together with others "all on the same side". The energy and passion of Antioch students who missed summer classes to counter Operation Rescue, the commitment of members of Anti-Racist Action and N.O.W., and the tracking and photography efforts of Bi-Sexual and Radical Feminists all contributed to strengthening our side.
The experience needs to be further discussed. It reaffirmed for us the need to rely on ourselves, that is on the efforts of pro-choice people, and not on the authorities to defend abortion access. It clearly showed that the pro-choice movement must not be "defensive" but must once again go on the offensive in re-framing the whole debate to be about women's lives, and not about fetuses.
- Reproductive Rights Task Force, Refuse & Resist!
September 7, 1997
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