Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising

Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU),Pronounced "POW!". also known as the Fetus Thieves, "Richard Spencer Is on Bumble". Feminist Buzzkills Live: The Podcast. are an American anti-abortion group that emerged in October 2021.Shannon Melero (October 7, 2021). "The 'Progressive' Anti-Abortion Uprising Is Just a Troll". Jezebel. They have a strong religious component, though a handful of leaders in the group are atheists. Many of their religious members describe themselves as various types of Christian left. Several members of the group have been arrested in the past for their interference at abortion clinics.Alice Miranda Ollstein (November 4, 2022). "'Republicans Abandoned Me': Meet the Dobbs Voters of Michigan". Politico Magazine. "Several members of her organization — Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising — have been arrested for such actions." Most famously, one leader for the group was found to have had five fetuses in their refrigerator when their house was raided by police.Jon Skolnik (April 1, 2022). "The bizarre politics of radical anti-abortion activists". Salon.Sofia Resnick (May 13, 2022). "Why Were There Fetuses in Her Refrigerator?". The Cut.
In its own words, PAAU set out "to mobilize grassroots anti-abortion activists for direct action, educate the public about the exploitative influence of the Abortion Industrial Complex through an anti-capitalist lens, advocate for pregnant people, and connect abortion vulnerable communities with life-saving resources."Katie Kyros (May 8, 2022). "Capitol Police separate tense Roe v. Wade protests outside Supreme Court". WUSA.Victoria Browne (October 2022). "Anti-abortion feminism: How is this even a thing?". Radical Philosophy. 213, pp. 27–42. They claim that abortion is a form of oppression like sexism, racism, homophobia, et cetera.Jasmine Geonzon (January 9, 2023). "As millions were stripped of abortion rights, mainstream outlets uplifted these five anti-choice leaders behind Roe's reversal". Media Matters for America.Masucci, Stella, "From Pacifism to Pipe Bombs: A History of the Extremist Anti-Abortion Movement in the United States" (2022), p. 66. Senior Theses. 492. They also believe this is perpetrated by "Big Pharma" and "Big Abortion".Alexander Panetta (January 30, 2023). "Scenes outside pharmacies could foreshadow next phase in U.S. abortion battle". CBC News. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Despite the apparent leftist branding, this has little apparent consequence for the group's activism: their founder, Terrisa Bukovinac, described PAAU as a one-issue organization in an interview for the German-language Die Tagespost, a right-wing Catholic publication.
It smells like potential astroturf (especially given their direct relationship with Randall Terry, the conservative founder of Operation Rescue),Katie Yoder (May 4, 2022). "Pro-life activists offer $25k for information about DC abortion doctor". The Catholic World Report. Catholic News Agency. "At the rally, Bukovinac and other activists, such as Randall Terry, who has been serving as a spokesman for PAAU, attempted to hand deliver a letter to clinic workers. [...] Terry slid a notice about the reward under the locked door of Washington Surgi-Clinic. 'We are offering $25,000 to any staffer of Cesare Santangelo who will testify under oath as to the crimes he has committed,' the letter reads." (Archived). but who knows anymore. Some religious doctrines may allow for progressivism on a slate of issues while disallowing it on others, including abortion, depending on interpretation. It may then be the case that this group is an outgrowth of the "religious left", but some observers may remain skeptical given a combination of a long history of astroturf by the Religious Right, and the demonstrated links that PAAU has with Religious Right activists.Emily Janakiram and Katie Finnigan (April 16, 2022). "Liberal Cities Are Not Immune to Mounting Attacks on Abortion Rights". Truthout (OP-ED).
==Sloganeering==
The first thing you see upon opening their webshite is a bunch of (occasionally tweaked)https://web.archive.org/web/20211013022010/https://paaunow.org/ buzzwords, slogans, and symbols that are sure to demonstrate their "progressive credentials" such as:Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising. (Archived)
Alongside those are a couple of anti-abortion slogans:
==Bum-rushing abortion clinics==
At least three PAAU members, alongside other people not affiliated with PAAU, barged into an abortion clinic (the Women's Options Center at San Francisco General Hospital), according to the San Francisco District Attorney. They proceeded to film staff and patients there.Megan Cassidy (May 19, 2022). Antiabortion activists "'barged' into UCSF women's clinic, recorded patients and stalked a doctor, D.A. says". The San Francisco Chronicle. At least one member for the group (Lauren Handy) was arrested and indicted for her involvement, though they pleaded "not guilty". Handy was also accused of stalking a doctor, having allegedly been caught in surveillance footage vandalizing his home. Stickers were placed all around the doctor's neighborhood that said "THERE'S A KILLER IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!", with a QR code that named the doctor alongside "false, inflammatory claims about abortion procedures".Gregory Yee (May 19, 2022). "L.A. antiabortion activist charged with harassing San Francisco doctor, defacing statue". The Los Angeles Times.Sophie Reardon (May 19, 2022). "Leader of anti-abortion rights group accused of stalking doctor who provides abortions in San Francisco". CBS News.
In July 2022, three PAAU leaders were sentenced to some brief jail-time for trespassing at Alexandria Women's Health Clinic during a demonstration.Michelle Boorstein (July 12, 2022). "Antiabortion activists sentenced for trespassing at Alexandria clinic". The Washington Post. (Archived).Kristin Turner was also sentenced for this incident; The Washington Post did not recognize her as a PAAU leader but did list her as having been sentenced. Currently the PAAU site lists her as their Director of Communications. In November 2022, four PAAU members were sentenced to 45 days in jail for obstructing the operation of a clinic in Michigan.Nathan Baca (November 18, 2022). "DC woman storing fetal remains sentenced to jail for Michigan clinic protest". WUSA.
PAAU's Lauren Handy was also allegedly involved with an October 2020 incident at a clinic in Washington, D.C. where the assailants knocked over an employee and set up a blockade, preventing people from entering the clinic "using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes".Jordan Fischer (February 20, 2023). "After Dobbs, anti-abortion activist wants charges for blockading DC clinic dismissed". WUSA. The incident was apparently live-streamed on Facebook.Rachel Kurzius (March 31, 2022). "Discovery Of Fetuses At Capitol Hill Home Allegedly Connected To Anti-Abortion Activist Indicted This Week". DCist.Mary Kay Mallonee and Rashard Rose (April 5, 2022 ). "Police say 5 fetuses found in a DC home where anti-abortion activist is believed to live". CNN. At least one person was blocked from their appointment. After this incident, Handy was restricted by a federal judge from entering reproductive health clinics unless for a personal appointment. She got around this by sending other people to do it for her instead, after which the judge restricted her from doing that either.Jordan Fischer (February 21, 2023). "Anti-abortion activist Lauren Handy planned two more clinic invasions in January, DOJ says". WUSA.
==Fetus kleptomania==
According to PAAU themselves, they have taken the remains of at least 115 fetuses. They claim that they were allowed by a medical waste company's truck driver to take a box of fetal remains (which was marked as a biohazard). However, the company itself denied these claims, stating that using its services to dispose of fetal remains was disallowed by its own policy.Michael Levenson (April 5, 2022). "Anti-Abortion Activists Say They Were Allowed to Take 115 Fetuses". The New York Times. (Archived). According to the company, "Fetal remains and human cadavers must be segregated from the medical waste stream and buried or cremated according to all applicable state and local regulations."Lex Juarez (April 5, 2022). "Anti-abortion group claims to have gotten 115 fetuses from DC clinic". WDVM-TV.
Five fetuses were found in the refrigerator of one PAAU leader during a police raid in response to a tip about "potential biohazard material". The fetuses were then collected by the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The police stated that the five fetuses "appeared to have been aborted legally" and that there did not "appear to be anything criminal about that – except for how they got into that house".Nathan Place (April 6, 2022). "Everything we know about Lauren Handy, anti-abortion activist who says they 'blessed and buried' 110 foetuses". The Independent.
Anyway, Handy apparently "helped baptise and bury" the other 110 fetuses in West Virginia, and a priest (Bill Kuchinsky) was present to give a Catholic funeral in front of the refrigerator beforehand. According to themselves, Handy has been "regularly dumpster diving" for fetuses since about 2016; their father "freaked the fuck out and said under no circumstances" would they be allowed to store fetuses in the basement freezer.Carter Sherman (April 1, 2022). "Anti-Abortion Activist Bragged About ‘Dumpster Diving’ for Fetuses". VICE News.
==Criminalizing abortion==
PAAU disputed that the five fetuses found in Handy's apartment were aborted legally, alleging they were in "late gestational ages" that would have disallowed this under the Partial Birth Abortion Act. They demanded autopsies to determine this, in which they were supported by 23 Republican members of U.S. Congress.Michael Levenson (March 31, 2022). "5 Fetuses Removed From Home of Anti-Abortion Activist, Group Says". The New York Times. (Archived).Mike Snider (April 6, 2022). "Anti-abortion activists say they collected 115 fetuses in medical waste from abortion clinic". USA Today. Ted Cruz even gave them a visit in person.Caleb Howe (June 11, 2022). "Ted Cruz Goes Off On Democrats and White House Over 'Actively Encouraging' Attempted Murder of Kavanaugh, 'Ongoing' Felonies". Mediaite. PAAU's claims were widely spread across the anti-abortion mediasphere.Ernie Piper (May 5, 2022). "Traumatic Images Polarize the Abortion Debate". Logically. As Reverend Rob Schenck suggested, it is possible that these five fetuses were simply "the result not of elective abortion but of fetal death in the womb or of spontaneous miscarriage". Dr. Jane Turner, a medical examiner, commented that drawing conclusions from any autopsies could be made more difficult depending on how the fetuses were stored by the clinic or by PAAU.April 5, 2022. "Medical waste company denies giving fetuses to antiabortion activists". The Washington Post. (Archived).
For a bunch of alleged anarchist police-abolitionists, they sure want an opportunity to sic the cops on abortion doctors, don't they? The Baffler put it as such: "[S]ome of PAAU’s members are self-described abolitionists and devotees of police and prison abolition organizer Mariame Kaba. But, ironically, they consider the criminalization of abortion a victory, even when patients themselves are charged for performing their own abortions." According to Slate, the group calls for a national abortion ban. The group may have even handed Ron DeSantis the framing that he felt he politically needed to instate a 15-week abortion ban in Florida (with no exceptions for rape or incest).Susan Rinkunas (April 14, 2022). "Ron DeSantis Sure Has a Lot of Opinions About Fetuses". Jezebel.Alanna Vagianos (April 14, 2022). "Ron DeSantis Signals Support For Woman Who Stole Fetal Remains From D.C. Clinic". The Huffington Post.
The group actually offered a $25,000 cash incentive for current or former staff at Washington Surgi-Clinic to testify that Dr. Cesare Santangelo had engaged in illegal activity.Garnet Henderson (May 5, 2022). "Who Will Protect Abortion Providers?". Elle.Lex Juarez (May 4, 2022). "Anti-abortion group targets D.C. doctor". WDVM-TV. By the way, where may they have gotten $25,000 from? The fact that Randall Terry was there to help them spread the word about this cash incentive in person may prompt some speculative answers.
==Moral panic at the CVS==
Beginning in February 2023, the group began a campaign against pharmacies such as Walgreens, CVS and RiteAid pharmacies for stocking abortion pills. Their campaign is also supported by (a Christian organization in part criticized for its name) and .Brendan Case and Fiona Rutherford (February 3, 2023). "Drugstore Chains Are Anti-Abortion Groups' Latest Target". Bloomberg News. (Archived). A spokesperson for PAAU stated: "Their vision to turn pharmacies into abortion businesses which will exploit and kill disproportionately low-income people and people of color for profit, will be met with nonviolent resistance at every turn."Decca Muldowney (February 4, 2023). "Anti-Abortion Protests at Pharmacies Labeled a 'Clown Show'". The Daily Beast. PAAU have been known to fearmonger about the safety of abortion pills, and have endorsed scientifically unproven "abortion pill reversals".Jasmine Geonzon (January 19, 2023). "Eventbrite is allowing anti-abortion activists to organize on its platform despite prohibiting events inciting harassment". Media Matters for America."Facts Are Important: Medication Abortion 'Reversal' Is Not Supported by Science". The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
==Members==
==Connected organizations==
===Other possible links===
==Critique==
There are some straightforward reasons to believe that PAAU may undermine its purported feminist and economically progressive stances. For example, abortion reduces poverty and increases economic gender equality. A lack of abortion access is especially linked to higher child poverty.Isabel V. Sawhill and Morgan Welch (June 30, 2022). "The end of Roe will create more inequality of opportunity for children". The Brookings Institution.Dylan Scott (June 24, 2022). "The end of Roe will mean more children living in poverty". Vox. Adrian Ma, Wailin Wong (May 26, 2022). "Abortion access tends to lower child poverty rates, economists say". All Things Considered. NPR. Commenting on the group, Katherine Hancock Ragsdale of the National Abortion Federation stated: "Simply calling yourself a feminist does not suddenly give you the right to make reproductive decisions for others".Sam Dorman (October 4, 2021). "Progressive pro-life group launches, says 'abortion-industrial complex' puts profits over people". Fox News. Also, how is a minority viewpoint (total abortion ban) consistent with anarchism when it is clearly politically coercive of people who don't share that viewpoint?
==See also==
* Blue Dog Democrats
* Christian democracy
* Distributism
* Horseshoe theory
* LGB Alliance
* Log Cabin Republicans
* Morality of abortion
* Red-Letter Christians
* Third positionism
==External links==
* Their webshite (is half-broken)https://archive.today/Hl0Vr
* 
==Further reading==
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Abortion
Category:Anti-abortion activists
Category:Catholics
Category:Christians
Category:Feminism
Category:Sexists
Category:Trolls
Category:United States politics
Category:We're on a mission from God