World Can’t Wait Takes on Anti-abortion Group in Denver

by Elaine Brower

Denver, CO — Saturday, August 23 2008:  In front of the Planned
Parenthood building located off of Interstate 70, at 8:30 AM activists
from World Can’t Wait converged to challenge the group of
anti-abortionists who attempted to block the entrance to the building,
and lined the streets with images of aborted fetuses.  Their goal was
to create a scenario where women seeking the aide of the facility would
be convinced to not have an abortion, if in fact that is why they were
entering this massive building offering a full range of healthcare
services to women.

Driving up to the building you could see the entire street lined with
trucks and oversized posters with images meant to scare someone who
didn’t know the difference between an abortion of an unformed group of
cells, similar to what is on our tongues or inside our mouth, and the
photoshop versions they were exhibiting.  Crosses were in abundance,
Jesus was invoked and the anti’s were lead by a man, Patrick Mahoney
who was telling all, especially the young women and children there, to
pray to the Lord for forgiveness of those who were killing their unborn
children.

Activists from World Can’t Wait, and others who joined in over the
course of the morning, were harrassed by the anti’s.  All the loudest
were old men with crosses around their necks, shouting directly into
the faces of WCW women who stood for choice.  There were heated
conversations back and forth, and activists who defended the women’s
right to choose made extremely intelligent arguments, counteracting the
loud yelling of the anti’s.  

Media outlets were there witnessing the exchange, and staff from
Planned Parenthood came out to the fence area to thank us for standing
up to these “bullies.”  They said these people did this on a regular
basis, and no one comes out to fight against them.  The police stayed
out of the fray, circling in their cars.  At one point an officer was
asked to help remove an anti-choice man who was screaming in the face
of one of the activists, and the officer responded “It’s their right to
free speech.”

There were about 50 pro-choice activists, up against about the same
amount of anti-choice.  The dynamics were heated, but in the end it was
a very successful morning since taking on those who are determined to
suppress women’s rights were confronted, in a determined, intelligent
and purposeful manner. 

There will be more of these demonstrations throughout the day. 

Update:This afternoon, right in front of the Pepsi Center, the
anti-abortionists gathered once again to declare abortion a sin and
against God and Jesus.

World Can’t Wait activists were there to counter their statements. 
There were many activists there, and the Denver police did not
construct the barracades at this point to keep anyone away from where
the Convention will be held starting on Monday.

Aaron Minkoff was standing with 10 WCW activsts talking to a male
anti-abortion protester with about 50 others. They were having a quiet
conversation about their differences of opinion on this very heated debate. 
About 15 to 20 cops showed up right in front of the Pepsi Center,
jumped out of cars, and approached Aaron directly. 

All at once they grabbed him by the arm and told him to come with
them.  He asked what he was doing wrong, and if he was being arrested,
and they said they had to “search” him.  They pulled him with force
behind one of the police car, much to the surprise and anger of the
activists, as well as the man that Aaron was speaking with. 

He said to the police, “we were just talking.  He didn’t do anything
wrong!”  With that the WCW activists began asking the police why they
were taking him, and shouting to “let him go.” 

Fortunately the media was there, including Fox News, CBS and BBC
covering this protest and counter-protest that has attracted
attention. 

Aaron said that the only reason he wasn’t arrested was because the
media followed him and had their cameras focused right on what the
police were doing.

They removed his backpack, and searched it illegally.  He asked why
there were doing that and the police responded “because we can.”

The officers who grabbed Aaron told him that he was not being arrested
but they wouldn’t let him go.  They searched him, and kept him there by
the police car.  After holding him for about 10 minutes, he went back
to the group.

The news media descended on Aaron and all, including Fox, said that
what they were seeing was a police state.  They were all in agreement
that the police were out of hand.  IndyMedia specifically said that
they would make sure they spoke with Aaron again, and Fox news reporter
also spoke to Aaron and told him directly that they would get this on
their news tonight, and what the police did was terrible.  They also
said they were “on his side.”

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