L.A.P.D. 'rescues' Operation Rescue

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RiGHT to life, That's a LIE if women DIE What We with our Seacock Socialist Action Ana By EDIE FOX and MARTY DENZEL LOS ANGELES—Thanks to the intervention of the Los Angeles Police Dept., Operation Rescue, the right-wing anti-abortion group that has occipied and closed abortion clinics in cities around the country, was saved from a defeat at the hands of pro-choice forces.

On Saturday, Feb. 11, a major test of strength occurred between pro-choice activists and anti-abortion forces outside a clinic in Los Angeles. The confrontation was the result of Operation Rescue's attempt to close down abortion clinics in the Los Angeles area for the first time.

Aware of Operation Rescue's plans, a coalition of women's groups had prepared to defend the abortion clinics in the city against the threat of attack. Sizable groups of 100 to 200 people gathered at six women's health clinics at 5:30 Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, Operation Rescue spent the night before in churches in Long Beach. Their scouts found two unprotected clinics (one block apart), and about 300 of them gathered there, blocking the entrances and shutting them down. When this fact was communicated to the pro-choice activists defending the other clinics, they all descended upon the two besieged clinics.

The Operation Rescue occupiers were rudely surprised when they found themselves confronted with and surrounded by over 1000 militant pro-choice defenders who were shouting, "Right to lifers, your name's a lie! You don't care if women die!"

Police to the rescue With the situation beginning to heat up, about 75 police in riot gear showed up and closed off the street in front of the clinics. Pro-choice picketers were ordered to keep their lines moving, while Operation Rescue was permitted to continue occupying clinic property and to sit on the sidewalk.

In effect, the police played the role of a protective barrier for Operation Rescue to continue their illegal occupation of the clinics, while at the same time harassing pro-choice activists who were exercising their democratic right to protect women's rights.

This is no different than the role played by police during strikes by workers, where they protect strikebreakers and harass, beat, and arrest striking workers who are exercising their democratic right to protect their jobs and living standards.

When in the history of labor or free speech struggles have the police shown the same solicitude and tolerance to workers and demonstrators that they demonstrated to Operation Rescue?

Because the police took no actions to allow the clinics to open, clients were unable to have access to the clinics' services. Ironically, Operation Rescue had targeted clinics that do not perform many abortions, so no actual abortions were prevented. What they did deny was treatment for pregnant women and women needing other types of gynecological care.

No one was arrested; nominally because the owner of one of the clinics declined to press charges and the other owner could not be found. Operation Rescue forces felt victorious; they got lots of publicity, they closed the clinics, and no one was arrested. As one of them was leaving he shouted gratefully to the row of cops: "Thanks, LAPD."

But it should be pro-choice forces who feel victorious. They outmobilized Operation Rescue, and through the tactic of the "flying picket," outnumbered the anti-women fanatics at the besieged clinics. Only the intervention of police prevented the pro-choice demonstrators from re-opening the clinics themselves.

Meanwhile, Operation Rescue has stated that its Feb. 11 disruption was only a dress rehearsal for what it says will be much larger abortion clinic assaults during the weekend of March 22-24 in Los Angeles.

In response, Dr. Joan Babbott, executive director of Planned Parenthood in Los Angeles, said that pro-choice groups expect to have a much larger number of clinic defenders in place to give Operation Rescue a welcome.