From: <ROWARD%IUBACS.bitnet@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:  Bloomington, Indiana: BAG THE GAG!  WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Resent-From: "Rich Winkel" <MATHRICH@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 22:39:07 GMT

A little cheery news from Bloomington:

BAG THE GAG!  WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!

On Wednesday, September 23rd, RORR, Reclaim Our Reproductive Rights, took
to the streets to protest the impending Gag Rule.  Gathering close to
200 people for a rally on campus, RORR members and supporters proceeded to
march through campus and onto Kirkwood Street to the County Courthouse.
All the way we chanted and sang, and we received a great deal of support
from onlookers, some of whom joined the march.

near the end of the march, everyone donned gags representing the attempt
by the looney right to silence voices for choice.  Once we arrived at the Court
House, everyone ripped off their gags in symbolic defiance of the Gag Rule.
"We will not be silenced" was the theme of the demonstration and march.

At the Court House, Charlotte Zietlow, of Planned Parenthood, addressed the crow
d, announcing that this Planned Parenthood was not going to accept the
Gag Rule.  This will mean a potential loss of funds for Planned Parenthood
of Southern Indiana, but the administration of the clinic believes that
it is vital that women have access to the information they need to make
thoughtful choices.

After Charlotte spoke, RORR kept with tradition, and had a speak out, inviting
members of the demonstration to speak.


CHAIN OF LIES! CHAIN OF FOOLS!  JUST ANOTHER FASCIST TOOL!

Last year, Monroe County Right to Life (sic!) sponsored the so-called
"Life Chain" along a major street of Bloomington.  At that time, the
Pro-Choice members of the community were not terribly well organized, and
only a handful of pro-choice counterdemonstrators showed up.

This year was different.  On Sunday, September 27th, Monroe Cty Right to
Life bussed in around 4-500 anti's to stand along the south side of
3rd Street in Bloomington with signs announcing that "Abortion Kills Children"
RORR was prepared this time.  Over 150 boisterous and loud pro-choicers
lined up on the opposite side of the street chanting and singing.
The Anti's were extremely stretched thin, having mobilized only half of
what they brought out last year (they *claimed* to have had 1400, bah!, it
was more like 1000).  RORR on the other hand, stayed together in a large
group, and rather than stretching ourselves thin, we marched enmasse
down the north side of the street.

3rd Street happens to be the location of a considerable number of
sororities and fraternities, and many of the members of the Greek System
were incensed that the Anti's were using their front sidewalks as
a launching pad for their lunacy.  A large group of sorority sisters joined the
pro-chice march with their house bullhorn and chanted for women's right to
choose.  Several fraternity brothers came out with hastily drawn up pro-
choice signs and held them to the traffic.  One of the wonderful spinoffs
of all this was that we made contacct with members of the greek system
who were interested in setting up a pro-choice network in the sororities
and fraternities.

Though the Anti's had sent paranoid letters to the newspapers and town
officials, warning of the dire acts of violence that RORR would allegedly
carry out during the demonstration, none of these delusions came to pass.
RORR stayed on the north side of the street and held a spirited, peaceful
demonstration.  Most drivers passing us were overjoyed to see a pro-choice
presence facing up to the Anti's.

Sample chants:

Chain of lies!
Chain of fools!
Just another fascist tool!

Open your eye's
(OOPS!)

Open your eyes!
Use your brain!
Pro-life is alie that puts us all in chains!

Sample song (by Simone Rowe, incidentally)

(to "Jesus Loves the Little Children")

You don't care about the children
All the children once their born!
Hungry or abused, if they're poor they have no use!
You don't care about the children once they're born!

(In a couple of days, I will send out the complete RORR chant and song
list)


A fun time was had by all (of us at least!)

Heh heh!

(by Rhodney Ward, RORR Demonstrations Co-Chair)
Xref: sparky misc.activism.progressive:6974 alt.activism:16879 talk.environment:3962