City Councilor Victoria Pelletier Wowed the Many Hundreds Who Attended the Pro-Abortion Rally Late This Afternoon.
Maine College of Art Students Who Attended the Supreme Court Protest With their Signs.
Nicole Clegg, Senior Policy Advisor for Planned Parenthood at Pro-Abortion Rally This Afternoon Clegg Urged Protestors to Vote in November.for Pro-Abortion Candidates.
Vote in all elections was the overriding message from several of the six speakers at a hastily called pro-abortion rally in response to the Supreme Court’s revelation last night. Many hundreds heard this message from City Councilor for District 2 Victoria Pelletier as well as from Nicole Clegg, Senior Policy Advisor for Planned Parenthood, protest organizer. The protest occurred at the Portland federal courthouse late this afternoon.
The stunning news that hit the air waves late last night was still reverberating all over the nation today. The news was that a reporter from POLITICO learned of a Supreme Court draft opinion in which it provided a roadmap to the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Although the turnover was expected to happen, pro-abortionists were caught off guard because of its blunt and cruel content – a leak about which Chief John Roberts has said would be investigated. For many, this news begs the question: Shouldn’t women have control over the reproductive rights of men in exchange?
Attorney Megan Sway, Policy Director for the ACLU, said it is fighting in the courts to keep Roe the law of the land. The leaked draft opinion “shows that the Supreme Court is able to determine when we can have children. We won’t go back. We’ll never give up fighting for Roe in this state. It’s health care and a right,” she said.
Councilor Pelletier urged the many hundreds who spilled out into Federal Street near the courthouse to vote locally as well as for state and national offices. “There is no election more important than local elections,” she said. She said that the fight to control women’s bodies has been going on since slavery. “It’s rooted in slavery,” she said.”The system is not broken. It’s how it’s supposed to work.” She reminded the supportive crowd that we were meeting on stolen land. “This is what our counry does. It invalidates the experience of the experienced. Anyone who wants to tell me what to do with my uterus can fuck off,” she said to a roar of approval from the huge crowd of protestors.
Nicole Clegg, Senior Policy Advisor for Planned Parenthood, a non-profit, had some suggestions for protestors who want to get involved and make a difference. First, she advised protestors to vote in all elections. Vote for candidates who are pro-abortion candidates. “This November we will show-up and make our voices clear at the polls,” We need to talk about abortion. We don’t talk about it enough,” she said. “That’s because the opposition has attacked those who get abortions. What is Senator Collins going to do?”
The protest wound its way down Congress Street to Monument Square and then finally ended in the Ganley Plaza in front of city hall. Some crowd estimates were up to 1,000, although there was no official count available.
Clegg announced that a National Day of Action is planned for Saturday, May 14, although the location has not yet been determined. It will run from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm that day.