From: sgast+@pitt.edu (Susan Garvin)
Newsgroups: talk.abortion
Subject: Re: When/where are abortion clinics blockaded?
Date: 24 Dec 92 23:02:17 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Dec24.200639.19827@netcom.com> bskendig@netcom.com (Brian Kendig) writes:
#I've heard an awful lot about Operation Rescue, and a lot of it sounds
#very biased in either direction.  Before I make any judgement on it
#for myself, I'd like to see it in action.

I think that you have to see it for yourself, too.  It's hard to
explain it to someone who has never seen it.

The book that Holtsinger got his bloody fetus descption from,
_Caught in the Crossfire_ by Sue Hertz, is a good report
of a year's worth of O.R. blockades in Boston.  

There was a "48 Hours" telecast of O.R.'s attack on Atlanta
that was fairly well done, too.  If you know anyone locally
who does defense, they may be able to show you some videotapes,
too.

#When and where are abortion clinics usually blockaded?  I don't know
#anything about this stuff right now, mind you, but I'm curious.  How
#common are abortion clinics -- only a few per state, or less scarce?
#Are blockades the sort of things that are announced far ahead of time,
#or are they spontaneous and covert?  Has anyone on this newsgroup ever
#participated in blockading or defending a clinic?

I've done defense in D.C., Buffalo, and Houston.  (We don't do
defense here in Pittsburgh.)  We haven't had a blockade in Pittsburgh
since last February, and that one was only four people.  Some
of our local O.R. members go to other cities and get arrested
there, though.  

Sometimes blockades are announced, and sometimes they aren't.  Even
in Buffalo and Houston, where they were open about their intent
to blockade a clinic, they didn't announce which particular one
they would hit.  Sometimes Terry or Tucci will announce a "National
Day of Rescue," but even this doesn't mean they will actually
do it.  (If there buses pull up to a clinic and there are hundreds
of defenders there, they often announce that they'd only planned
a picket that day.)

They used to only hit on Saturdays, but they gave that up.  
They try to hit early in the morning - not so early that the
police have time to clear them away before the clinic opens,
but early enough to delay most appointments.  They're getting
less and less publicity, so you may have to monitor a Christian
radio station if you want to hear about one as it's occurring.

Be aware that the name "Operation Rescue" is rarely used any
longer.  The national organization was fined tens of thousands
of dollars for violating an injunction in NYC, so most local
groups use names like "Rescue Pittsburgh" or "Rescue America,"
since they want publicity but don't want to be liable for
O.R.'s debts.  Even groups which have no obvious affiliation
(Lambs of Christ, Missionaries to the Pre-Born, etc.) share
their members with O.R.

They try to hit clinics in cities where they don't anticipate
much police interference, or where they can expect light
sentences or none at all.  If there's a history of long
jail sentences, they tend to go someplace else.  (The last
big blockade in Pittsburgh resulted in some serious sentences.
There's not been one with more than 10 participants since, and
that was over two years ago.)

I hope this helps.  

By the way, while blockades are more rare these days, harassment
goes on each day that clinics are open.  You can observe "sidewalk
counseling" just by visiting an area clinic on any day that
they do procedures.  You can observe clinic escorts on these days,
too.

Susan
Xref: sparky talk.abortion:52791 talk.religion.misc:24507