Anti-abortion fanatics vandalize doctor's office

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area are planning a large, peaceful Actions underway to protect choice organizations), the League of Women An initial call cites the government's hood, withdrew, fearing that an action other rights) are under constant attack. Socialist Action), several lesbian and Gag Rule against women's health clin- at the same time that pending legisla- Women-and men too-must mobilize gay organizations, the ACLU, and ics, Operation Rescue's attacks in tion on the Gag Rule was being to preserve and extend the right to abor- many others. Wichita and Iowa, and the Aurora clinic considered in the Senate would jeopar- tion. If we don't, we risk losing even Many of these groups have done more vandalism as examples. It states, "There dize the legislation. is an urgent need for all those organiza- priations bill in the Senate which tions and individuals which have temporarily prevents implementation of SAN FRANCISCO-Pro-choice sup- announcements have gone out, several supported women's rights ... to come the Gag Rule, while it calls for parental porters in the Bay Area are marching on campuses and concerts have been leaflettogether to respond, to mobilize the consent tor teenagers getting abortions. Oct. 5 to defend "safe, legal, and acces- ed and posted, train and bus stops have vast majority of women and their sup- (Parental notification, where it is in sible abortion." This action is one of been leafleted, and an advertisement has porters who defend the right to sate, effect, has already resulted in the deaths the few regional mobilizations being been placed in the Oakland Tribune.

of teenage women, like Becky Bell of built this fall in response to the The main difficulty that arose in Chicago Women's Health Center and Other organizations, like Chicago right-wing attacks on reproductive free- failure of several of the main pro-choice stepped-up campaign of government and building this impressive action was the the Religious Coalition for Abortion NOW, said they were concerned that a dom.

Rights-Bridge Women of Color Partner- tally would be seen as support tor such During the last weeks of organizing for the action. The vote had been taken ship Program; Terry Schleder-Scott, Du legislation, and did not want to send the many important organizations have during a meeting of the S.F. Area ProPage NOW; Norine Gutekanst, Emer- wrong message to legislators. They endorsed the event. These include the Choice Coalition back in August. gency Chinic Defense Coalition; Bllen talked instead of an activity in Febru- San Francisco Labor Council and severMason, Health Worker's Pledge; and ary, perhaps tied to the primary al unions, including IL WU Local 6 and Planned Parenthood, for example, Others, however-like the Health Crafts Local 510, Calitornia Federation ing but later declined to endorse it. S.P The initial planning meeting will be Workers Pledge, Terry Schleder Scott, of Teachers, the Executive Board of the NOW and the California Abortion held Saturday, Oct. 5, at 2 p.m., at the and other signers of the letter-agree Califomia Teachers Association, United Rights Action League (the NARAL Chicago Circle Center, 750 S. Halsted that the only way to send a clear mes- Public Employees SETU local 790, and affiliate) refused to endorse the action St. (For more information, call (312) sage to legislators, courts, and the Bush two chapters of the Coalition of Labor until one week prior to Oct. S.

administration is to mobilize the largest Union Women.

Originally, virtually every significant possible forces in a public action. Also endorsing the action are organi- ed groups has hurt efforts to unite Bay organization in Chicago supporting The strategy of relying on the kind- zations of Asians and Pacifics, Black Area pro-choice forces. Despite these abortion rights had planned a rally for ness of legislators has been tried for women, Latinas, Filipinos, eight unfortunate obstacles, the march is Oct. 12. But this rally was called off years. As a result, we are in the current specifically pro-choice organizations, expected to be a success. when one organization, Planned Parent- situation in which women's rights and four NOW chapters, three area ProSOCIALIST ACTION OCTOBER 1991 5 AURORA, III.-—The local clinic of Dr. Alexander Jacubowski was vandalized on Saturday, Sept. 14, by anti-abortion fanatics, leaving damage estimated at $175,000.

The vandals broke all the windows, smashed up medical equipment (including an ultra-sound machine), slashed up furniture and the doctor's diploma, and took a sledge hammer to the toilet and tank, causing extensive water damage. The vandals left no doubt about their motive, scrawling "the Devil's workshop" and "baby-killer" inside and outside, and splattering red paint over the walls.

The damage was discovered Saturday morning by pro-choice volunteers when they arrived to escort patients past the lines of anti-abortion zealots who usually show up on that day.

Jacubowski opened the office after his lease at a local clinic owned by Copley Memorial Hospital was not renewed after CHICAGO-Several groups in this protest this fall to answer the attacks on the right to abortion.

Sarah Rivkin, Northwestern University elections.

Women's Coalition.

845-6838.) months of harassment. (Copley does not allow elective abortions.) He has been targeted because he performs abortions, including second-trimester procedures, although they comprise only 10 percent of his practice. His office is one of two places a woman can get an abortion within a 20-mile area surrounding this town of 100,000.

The vandalism is clearly part of a systematic campaign of harassment and intimidation by anti-abortion fanatics. One anti-abortion picketer outside the office on the morning of the trashing exclaimed, "Look at God's handiwork!"

Local anti-abortion demagogue Joseph Scheidler, while careful to disavow any knowledge of the vandalism, complained that anti-abortion zealots were too "caught up in apologizing for vandalism against property." He carefully listed every other attack on the doctor and the clinic, and attributed the destruction to possibly "a genuine pro-life radical for whom non-violent protest takes too long."

There is currently a rider to an approScheidler allowed that perhaps vandalism "may discourage other medics from getting involved in the dirty business of Dr. Jacubowski and his clinic had been targeted before. In April, Jacubowski was accosted in a rest-stop parking lot by people who chained themselves to his car. When his office in Aurora opened in June, the telephone lines were cut, and 16 people were arrested after chaining themselves to the porch of the office.

On the Wednesday following the vandalism, when Jacubowski stopped at a restaurant, someone spilled acid and paint on his car. His house has also been picketed, and his family harassed.

Such tactics are encouraged by the climate of official hostility to women's right to abortion, nationally as well as locally. The support the Bush administration gave to Operation Rescue in Wichita, Kan., was a clear example.

The local mayor, rather than squarely condemning the criminal attack, said that Jacubowski's office brought trouble with more of our rights.— Tina Beacock Local 34, Sign Display and Allied abortion safe and legal because "people will have abortions no matter what.

There will be those teenagers, too afraid to tell their parents, who will just go somewhere else ... No one should have a baby as a teenager. It's not worth ruining two lives."

Heather Sewell, a resident of Aurora, continued, "The people making these decisions [about abortion and law] are ruling other people's lives, making their decisions for them. It should be a woman's choice."

Local organizers are planning another rally at the end of October. For information, call Kane County NOW at (708)

584-0004.

Chicago pro-choice activists scored an important victory against Operation Rescue on Saturday, Sept. 28, when they out-mobilized the OR blockaders four to one at the American Women's Medical Center.

The pro-choice clinic defenders were organized by the Emergency Defense Coalition. Thirty-two of the 50 blockaders (from two Chicago-area churches)

were arrested by police and removed from the clinic. By 8:30 a.m., the clinic was once again accessible to patients.

Although led by a national leader of Operation Rescue, the blockaders were ineffective against 200 activists determined to uphold women's legal access to abortion services. - 1'.B.

Choice Coalitions (representing many Voters, student organizations, several socialist organizations (including than lend their name to the event. Thousands of letters with calendar organizations to bonor their own vote voted for the action at the August meetThe response of these three well-fund-Carole Seligman

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legal, and accessible abortion." The call is signed by Sharon Powell, Indiana.)