Canadian women mobilize nationally against new restrictive abortion law

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On Saturday, Oct. 13, women took to the streets in 35 cities and towns throughout Quebec and English Canada to demand that the restrictive abortion law passed by the Canadian House not be allowed to take effect. In some small towns this was the first such visible protest activity. These binational activities were organized by the Pro-Choice Action Network and the Canadian Rights Action League.

Pointing to the 4000 people who marched in Toronto, Cherie MacDonald spokesperson for the Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics (OCAC), told Socialist Action: "This turnout shows the firm base of support for reproductive freedom."

At a press conference prior to the Oct. 13 protest, the Canadian Medical Association, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Canadian Public Health Association issued statements calling on the federal government not to proclaim this new More than 150 pro-choice activists from across the United States and Canada attended the first National Clinic Defense Conference in Washington, D.C., last month.

Sponsored and organized by the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the Washington Area Clinic Defense Task Force (WACDTF), the conference was unique. For the first time it brought together abortion services providers and clinic defense activists.

Different perspectives on clinic defense have given rise to tensions between clinic directors and clinic defenders. Often clinic directors, think it best to maintain a low profile in the midst of increasing violence and harassment of family-planning clinics. Clinic defense activists, on the other hand, think it's necessary to be aggressive in protecting the right of women to seek safe reproductive healthcare.

The Conference provided a forum for these tensions to be resolved as providers and activists addressed their differing concerns. Both sides agreed that keeping the clinics open is the top priority.

Overall, a celebratory atmosphere embraced the conference. Activists from city after city reported how Operation Rescue (O.R.) has been beaten back at the clinics, in the courts, and in public opinion.

The National Abortion Federation (NAF), which has been tracking incidents of antichoice terrorism since 1977, reported that O.R.'s activity fell sharply in 1990.

According to NAF, 11,732 arrests were made during 182 blockades in 1988, the first year of O.R.'s national campaign of antichoice terrorism. In 1989, O.R. staged 201 blockades with 12,358 arrests made. So far in 1990, however, O.R. has managed only 24 blockades and 614 arrests.

Not only are the blockades dwindling, but fewer and fewer anti-choice people participate in them. Ann Baker from The 80% Majority reported that 2600 O.R. members account for 27,000 arrests. Most O.R. members have been arrested10 to 12 times. These figures debunk O.R.'s claim that a "groundswell" of opposition to abortion accounts for the high numbers of arrests.

Workshops focus on issues Conference participants attended workshops on fundraising, physical-defense tactics, making the police responsive, and coalition building. These workshops discussed the "meat and potatoes" of successful clinic defense and provided activists with a chance to share war stories and helpful hints. abortion law. These statements explained that this law would drastically limit access to abortion.

In practice, although the new law has not iaken effect, access to abortion for Canadian and Quebecois women is already severely limited. Many doctors have stopped performing abortions, citing fear of possible legal action.

In one small town, gynecologists decided to protect themselves from lawsuits by referring all prospective abortion patients to a psychiatrist. They then learned such psychiatric exams would delay the abortions until the second trimester. Instead of dropping the plan for psychiatric exams, the town's gynecologists announced they would no longer perform abortions since their practice was only to perform first trimester abortions.

As access to abortions in small towns ceases, many women are forced to travel to the few large cities where clinics continue to operate. In Toronto this has resulted in long delays. The backlog of cases there now means some women must wait a month for an appointment.

OCAC is calling on the newly elected New Democratic Party (NDP) provincial government to immediately declare the law unenforceable in Ontario. MacDonald explained that such an action by the largest provincial government could help pressure the Tories not to push ahead on the federal level.

Responding to those who argue such a declaration would only be appropriate if the new law takes effect and limits access, MacDonald stressed, "The new crisis of access is not in the future. It's here now."

Although the NDP has long had a strong pro-choice position, and leading members of the provincial government spoke at October rallies throughout Ontario, newly elected provincial Prime Minister Bob Rae is hesitating to take such a step.

While Ontario Attorney General Howard Hampton went so far as to state that if the bill becomes law it will be his duty to enforce it, Rae has stated there is no reason to speculate since the bill isn't yet law. Although Rae has given verbal assurances that abortion access will remain in Ontario, he has also stated his desire not to unnecessarily antagonize the federal government over this issue.

MacDonald stated, "Bob Rae has shown no hesitation to directly challenge the federal government on other controversial issuesfrom the free trade agreement, to the goods and services tax. Yet, when it comes to the lives of women, he suddenly fears making waves. The women's movement won't stand idly by and allow our rights to be ignored. We have called a demonstration for Friday, Oct. 26, outside the Attorney General's office.

"We have invited Bob Rae to meet us there. Hopefully, he will join us to instruct the Attorney General to declare this law unenforceable. If he fails to do so and continues to waffle on this important issue, we will be forced to denounce his failure to live up to the promises in the NDP platform.

"We will be at the Attorney General's office to send a clear message that the women of Ontario will not allow our basic human rights to be eroded—regardless of what party holds the majority in Parliament."