Activists defend reproductive freedom in Mississippi

Last week Jackson, MS, became the focus of attention in the national debate over abortion rights as the right-wing hate group Operation Save America (OSA) attempted to shut down the state's only abortion clinic. During the week long siege of the clinic by OSA, pro-choice forces including the National Organization for Women (NOW), Anti-Racist Action (ARA) and others stood up to OSA's attempts to close the clinic despite harassment, death threats and a bomb scare. "Having only one clinic in the state that provides abortions is a tremendous burden for women who are making important, and very personal, decisions about when and whether to expand their families," said Kim Gandy, national president of NOW, who came to Jackson to defend women's rights. "This clinic provides critical services for women in Jackson and those who must travel long distances across the state to obtain services. We are determined that it will remain open," said Gandy. The city of Jackson prepared for the protests by enacting a repressive "state of emergency" that among other things severely restricted the rights of protesters on each side by disallowing gatherings of more then three people with a political message. "The only ones who should be calling a state of emergency is the women of Mississippi whose right to health care is under attack by a far-right agenda." responded Mary Wilson of Asheville Anti-Racist Action. The state of emergency was selectively enforced throughout the week as police dispersed some gatherings and tolerated others. The week's events began on July 15 when a rally held by NOW was disrupted by a handful of anti-abortion extremists and a bomb threat that caused police to clear Smith Park where the rally was held. "It is outrageous that anti-abortion activists endanger the lives of Jacksonians in order to further their cause. The individuals responsible for this act of domestic terrorism... must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Michelle Colon, president of the Jackson Area NOW chapter. Undeterred by the threat, pro-choice forces gathered the next day to defend a forum on reproductive freedom hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson. Despite being told they were trespassing, OSA rallied on property across from the church taunting the activists providing security for the event. At one point a member of OSA challenged the pro-choice activists' blockade by ramming a car through the crowd. Nobody was hurt in the incident but the car received minor damage after it stuck several people. By midweek OSA showed its true colors as a multi-issue hate group when OSA activists, including adults and young children destroyed a rainbow "pride flag," and a Koran on the steps of the Mississippi State House. Jackson police intervened before the group could follow through with their plan to burn the items, causing the group to remove and later burn them at the "Making Jesus Real" church in nearby Pearl, MS. After the story reached local and national news outlets the church, a close ally of OSA, closed its facilities to the group. Other area churches that had lent OSA vans for their protests also pulled their support. Reacting to the criticism OSA President "Flip" Benham responded that OSA had burnt the Koran "because it leads thousands of people to hell every day." Attempting to draw OSA away from the protests at the clinic, NOW and ARA relied on a strategy of confronting OSA demonstrations across the city thoughout the week. Though the mood between the opposing groups was tense, open violence did not break out. By July 21, OSA held a demoralized rally at Smith Park (the site of the bomb threat against pro-choice activists a week earlier) ending their campaign to shut the Jackson Clinic. ARA activists took over the stage at the park before OSA's arrival and held a queer dance party and kiss-in as OSA attempted to conduct its rally on the same stage. Dirty dancing to Christian folk songs, ARA activists held the stage for the entire rally, causing half of the OSA crowd to leave the event. By weeks end OSA failed to close the clinic as they had threatened and clinic workers reported no disruption of health services throughout the week. Next week another anti-abortion group, Operation Saratoga from New York state, will come to Jackson in hopes of closing the clinic. Progressive forces from Jackson, and around the country plan on being back to challenge this new threat against women's rights.