Mujer Libre
28th July 2007, 08:24
Today a group of anti-choicers marched on Parliament House in Melbourne demanding that the laws that currently criminalise abortion in Victoria, but are not really enforced, are enforced and strengthened. This particular group are predominantly Catholic and every Saturday they stand outside the Fertility Control Clinic in East Melbourne harassing women and staff as they enter as well as taking photos- they have also been linked to the murder of a worker in a clinic. They carried their usual placards featuring foetuses in the womb (so what?) and banners claiming that abortion constitutes genocide (they need to get their definitions worked out) and, most sickeningly with children that they are indoctrinating into their misogynist worldview. There was even a child with Down's Syndrome who had a heart-shaped placard around her neck that said "I want to live." Yes, because abortion= eugenics = killing EIGHT YEAR OLDS!
Unfortunately, despite it being a rather large turnout for a snap-action we were definitely outnumbered, so it would be amazing if more people could turn up in the future. The 'forced-birthers' also get very aggressive and in your face. A friend of mine was even hit over the head with a placard, by an old woman...
And now, with the photos.
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6687/20070701action280707004dh7.th.jpg (http://img142.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004dh7.jpg)
Random fundies, some trying to cover their faces. Now they know how it feels.
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/5919/20070701action280707004ly8.th.jpg (http://img340.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004ly8.jpg)
In the foreground, some of us and more of them in the background. We were basically surrounded, and they kept trying to pull down our banners while yelling insults at us. Tellingly, one of their favourites to hurl at women was "slut." We got our own back by chanting really loudly as close as possible to them.
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/1654/20070701action280707004ck8.th.jpg (http://img257.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004ck8.jpg)
More of the same.
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/8042/20070701action280707004eq3.th.jpg (http://img401.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004eq3.jpg)
This woman, and the woman whose face she is shielding with her placard were really aggressive. First they stood behind us and prayed for us. (lol!) then they started to get in our faces in that smug, sneering Christian way...
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/5797/20070701action280707004oz4.th.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004oz4.jpg)
This lovely man was standing in front of us trying to pull down our banner. I think it was him who called my friend a slut. He also looked at us with a condescending sneer (you know- the "you're going to hell, you dirty slags" look) every time we did anything. There was also a guy, but I missed him, who got extremely aggressive and when the pigs told him to tone it down he basically complained that fundamentalists are oppressed and the police didn't do anything to protect them from the nasty feminists. Poor fundies. :(
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6821/20070701action280707004uv0.th.jpg (http://img406.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004uv0.jpg)
Our banner. It's the second part of the chant: "Not the church, not the state. Women will decide our/their fate."
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/8035/20070701action280707004mh9.th.jpg (http://img525.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004mh9.jpg)
A picture of Mary that those weird creeps brought with them. We decided that it looks like a ****. It provided much merriment on an otherwise depressing morning.
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/9185/20070701action280707005il5.th.jpg (http://img266.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707005il5.jpg)
One of the guys who, I think, takes pictures of women as they enter the clinic. He stood in front of us yelling about how we were angry, and didn't even know what we were angry about. (let me guess, he's such a lovely guy because of god?) I would have thought it was fairly obvious what we're angry about- tossers like him who want to turn women into baby-factories by imposing their ancient-world mystical beliefs on them? Dumbfuck.
After thinking about all that, I'm REALLY angry. :angry:
Unfortunately, despite it being a rather large turnout for a snap-action we were definitely outnumbered, so it would be amazing if more people could turn up in the future. The 'forced-birthers' also get very aggressive and in your face. A friend of mine was even hit over the head with a placard, by an old woman...
And now, with the photos.
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6687/20070701action280707004dh7.th.jpg (http://img142.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004dh7.jpg)
Random fundies, some trying to cover their faces. Now they know how it feels.
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/5919/20070701action280707004ly8.th.jpg (http://img340.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004ly8.jpg)
In the foreground, some of us and more of them in the background. We were basically surrounded, and they kept trying to pull down our banners while yelling insults at us. Tellingly, one of their favourites to hurl at women was "slut." We got our own back by chanting really loudly as close as possible to them.
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/1654/20070701action280707004ck8.th.jpg (http://img257.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004ck8.jpg)
More of the same.
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/8042/20070701action280707004eq3.th.jpg (http://img401.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004eq3.jpg)
This woman, and the woman whose face she is shielding with her placard were really aggressive. First they stood behind us and prayed for us. (lol!) then they started to get in our faces in that smug, sneering Christian way...
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/5797/20070701action280707004oz4.th.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004oz4.jpg)
This lovely man was standing in front of us trying to pull down our banner. I think it was him who called my friend a slut. He also looked at us with a condescending sneer (you know- the "you're going to hell, you dirty slags" look) every time we did anything. There was also a guy, but I missed him, who got extremely aggressive and when the pigs told him to tone it down he basically complained that fundamentalists are oppressed and the police didn't do anything to protect them from the nasty feminists. Poor fundies. :(
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6821/20070701action280707004uv0.th.jpg (http://img406.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004uv0.jpg)
Our banner. It's the second part of the chant: "Not the church, not the state. Women will decide our/their fate."
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/8035/20070701action280707004mh9.th.jpg (http://img525.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707004mh9.jpg)
A picture of Mary that those weird creeps brought with them. We decided that it looks like a ****. It provided much merriment on an otherwise depressing morning.
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/9185/20070701action280707005il5.th.jpg (http://img266.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20070701action280707005il5.jpg)
One of the guys who, I think, takes pictures of women as they enter the clinic. He stood in front of us yelling about how we were angry, and didn't even know what we were angry about. (let me guess, he's such a lovely guy because of god?) I would have thought it was fairly obvious what we're angry about- tossers like him who want to turn women into baby-factories by imposing their ancient-world mystical beliefs on them? Dumbfuck.
After thinking about all that, I'm REALLY angry. :angry: