| |  | | Hi John, WHAT A WEEK WE HAD! A few times a year, anti-abortion hate group Operation Save America holds “conferences” in different cities, where they work on “Restoring Manhood” (where did it go in the first place…?) and descend on abortion clinics in the area. Abortion AF’s Programs department spent last week in Greenville, South Carolina countering their bullshit, backing up their clinic defenders, and generally just SHOWING UP for the state’s ONLY independent abortion clinic! Ya know, like we do. |
| | As always, our first priority is always the indie clinic! We were able to spend time guest-escorting patients into their lot, getting to know their team and the challenges they face, and finding ways to support the clinic and their defenders as they deal with their unique abortion and physical landscape. Did you know that, like many indies, they are DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET AND NEXT DOOR from an anti-abortion fake clinic who has a giant sign pushing the untested “abortion pill reversal”? Sounds totally legit, y’all- not at all weird and gross and predatory. |
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| | Of course, life is better when you have friends with you! Abortion AF was #blessed enough to be in the trenches with so many of our friends from around the country who rallied together to counter anti-abortion extremists. Our friends from We Engage, Reproductive Rights Coalition, Toledo Abortion Center Escorts, Charlotte for Choice, and defenders from Virginia and beyond joined with local defenders and supporters to tell Operation Save America they’re not welcome there (or anywhere, really). Our ragtag troupe countered them at the clinic, on the streets, outside of their church, and even all the way down to South Carolina’s capital, Columbia, directly on the grounds of their statehouse where they rallied to ban abortion completely! |
| | We expect bad behavior from anti-abortion folks; it’s a given. They spend their time harassing patients at abortion clinics across the country, all while grooming their children to believe this hate is normal and condoning violence. However, even our endless cynicism couldn’t have prepared us for the level of violence they brought to Greenville. The men and boys of Operation Save America used their bodies and ladders to repeatedly physically assault defenders simply occupying space to better protect patients. They used every ounce of strength to beat us down, and you know what? THEY DIDN’T WIN. Defenders and supporters stood their ground (which isn’t exactly easy when you literally have a ladder on your ass) no matter how many times they demanded we move, and we showed them quite clearly that they ain’t shit. Despite sprained wrists, bloody cuts, bruises, abrasions, and ripped out earrings, WE DIDN’T BACK DOWN. Click this link to watch just how violent they are and see exactly how our Community Engagement Coordinator received that gnarly injury on her back. |
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| | All in all, Abortion AF left Greenville proud of the work we did and especially proud of all of our badass friends for showing South Carolina how violent Operation Save America truly is- and maybe, just maybe, the media will finally listen. Indie clinics are our heart and soul, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to serve and uplift them whenever possible. You know why? PROVIDERS ARE HEROES! PS- We can’t support indie clinics and do this work without y’all’s generosity! So if you’re able, we’d love it if you'd pop a few bucks in the donation bucket to make sure we can keep showing up! |
|  | Until next time, Team Abortion AF |
|  | | | We're @abortionfront everywhere - TikTok too! | | |
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