Planned Parenthood protests, counter-protests in Portland, around country

Protestors’ signs on Saturday said it lies.

On the other side, about 150 people dressed in pink clutched matching signs that said “I support Planned Parenthood”.

Planned Parenthood representatives have criticized the planned demonstrations, noting that Congressional budget provisions already prevent federal funding for abortions.

Trump last month banned US funding to worldwide groups that perform abortions or even provide information about abortions.

“The federal government should not be sending taxpayer dollars to abortion providers, and it shouldn’t force states to do so either”, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California told the Examiner.

News outlets reported that similar rallies – as well as counterprotests – were scheduled to take place Saturday across the country.

“These Defund PP protests are created to intimidate the many patients who seek basic health care services from Planned Parenthood, including lifesaving cancer screenings, testing for HIV, treatment for STIs, and family planning and birth control”. Opponents have long called for the total defunding of the group, claiming that their practices are unethical and amount to murder. Planned Parenthood provides less than 1 percent of annual pap tests and zero mammograms, but performs 34 percent of annual abortions in the U.S. They’ve been caught shielding child predators, defrauding Medicaid, and harvesting fetal tissue for profit.

“We want to support life”, 14-year-old Luis Garcia Jr. said without hesitation. “Losing a resource like Planned Parenthood would be devastating”.

McAuliffe said in a statement at the time that he vetoed the legislation because it would restrict access to health care and would violate federal regulations for family planning funding under Title X. “I was surprised”, Hennessy said.

While defunders formed a thin line on the curb lawn for most of a block, the larger crowd defending Planned Parenthood was packed 3, 4 and 5 deep for a block and a half on the other side of the street.

Planned Parenthood estimates as many as 5000 people showed up at the Washington Square Park rally. “This is not a political issue; this is a moral issue”.

It isn’t just about abortion, that’s a very small part of what Planned Parenthood does.

Panique, now 57, said she was spurred into action by the recent election. For this event she’s working with two co-organizers, Julie Simmons and Liddy Creulich, whom she had never met or talked to before they messaged her on Facebook to offer their help.

“We want the shedding of innocent blood to stop”, Freiberger said.

“Women don’t choose abortion, they have abortions because they feel they have no choice”, Freiberger said.