KEEP bONTInAl GAU Rvan/Socia Inside the Soviet Union Today Eyewitness reports, pp. 12-17
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Carl Finamore/Socialist Action See pp. 10.11.
actions on two important days: April 26, the day slated by the U.S. Supreme Court to hear arguments in the Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, and April 29, the day targeted by Operation Rescue to blockade access to abortion clinics in cities across the country.
Pro-choice supporters responded to Yard's appeal in the thousands.
• In Boston, over 3000 people demonstrated at the Federal Building on April 26. Three days later, on April 29, another 3000 showed up to turn back Operation Rescue's attempt to close down local clinics.
• In Sacramento, Calif., thousands turned out on April 26; and on April 29 over 1000 pro-choice supporters confronted 300 Operation Rescue fanatics who arrived after being outmobilized in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• In Los Angeles, over 1500 pro-choice supporters neutralized a force of nearly 1000 Operation Rescue zealots who were unable to shut down any clinics.
In 70 of the 100 cities hit by Operation Rescue, the right-wingers were outnumbered and defeated by pro-choice supporters. While some clinics around the country were closed by these hymn-singing thugs, it was only because of lack of organization on the part of pro-choice forces.
Today's immediate task is to build a mass movement in the streets that will make it impossible for these anti-life forces to succeed anywhere. What Molly Yard says in her letter is this: Mobilize and organize the huge majority who support a woman's right to choose.
In the past, the leadership of NOW focused its energy on campaigning for so-called "friends" in the Democratic Party. But the huge mobilization of 600,000 pro-choice supporters on April 9 demonstrated one incontrovertible fact: The only real friends the women's rights movement can count on are the millions of rank-and-file Americans who showed their readiness to march and demonstrate to protect the democratic rights of all women.
Many people believe the Supreme Court may not completely overturn Roe v. Wade. But whatever opinion is rendered, these justices of morality will try to put wind in the sails of the anti-choice movement.
For women, and their millions of supporters, this battle is not going to die. We have to organize, organize, and organize-as the old saying goes. Millions are waiting for just that to happen, as April 9 so graphically displayed.