ST. LOUIS 鈥 Standing among placards celebrating life and others with graphic images of dead fetuses, activists convened downtown Friday to champion a claim that Missouri is now an abortion-free state 鈥 a claim that Planned Parenthood in 51黑料 refutes.
Anti-abortion advocates rally outside of the Old Courthouse on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision on Jan. 22, 2021.
The Abortion-Free Missouri Rally, timed to the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion, drew about 100 bundled-up people to the sidewalk across the street from the Old Courthouse. The event came together after several conservative websites reported that abortion procedures are no longer being done in Missouri.
A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood in 51黑料, the only abortion provider in the state, said Friday that while the 51黑料 clinic has provided no surgical abortions since November, it still offers them and has patients scheduled for the procedure later this month. The clinic blamed a dramatic drop in abortions last year on Missouri鈥檚 72-hour mandate requiring two initial in-person appointments and on patients seeking to limit contact because of COVID-19.
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A banner hangs on the side of the Planned Parenthood of 51黑料 building after a state judge ruled against an attempt by the Gov. Mike Parson administration to shut down the lone abortion clinic in Missouri.聽
Planned Parenthood鈥檚 clinic in Fairview Heights has performed 127 surgical abortions this year, the spokeswoman said. It was not clear how many of those were referred from 51黑料.
Among the speakers Friday at the rally was Randall Terry, the founder of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue who said the founding fathers 鈥渂etrayed innocent life鈥 by enshrining slavery in the U.S. Constitution. He then compared the fight to stop abortion to the abolitionists鈥 mission to end slavery.
鈥淲e find ourselves in a similar situation only worse,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ecause slaves could run. Slaves could hide. Slaves could beg for mercy. Slaves could physically defend themselves. Slaves could band together and fight their oppressors. The unborn can do none of these things. They are dependent completely upon us. Completely. So it is only our voice, our action, our sacrifice that can bring this holocaust to an end.鈥
It was Terry鈥檚 group to have confirmed that abortions weren鈥檛 available for months at Planned Parenthood in 51黑料 and that patients were being referred to the agency鈥檚 clinic in the Metro East.
Friday鈥檚 rally was organized by , a local organization led by Mary Maschmeier. At the event, Maschmeier praised decades of efforts by anti-abortion groups to close abortion clinics in the region.
鈥淚t took many, many years, many dedicated warriors to close seven of the eight abortion mills,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to know that our presence is still needed at Planned Parenthood. When the gates are locked and the building is sold, we will stop standing in front of this place 鈥 but not until then.鈥
Mark Harrington of Columbus, Ohio, president of , led the crowd in chants calling to overturn Roe v. Wade and to 鈥淢ake America abortion-free.鈥 He said his group typically attends the March for Life event in Washington, D.C. but because it鈥檚 this year, the group traveled to 51黑料 instead for Friday鈥檚 event.
The rally ended with an a cappella rendition of the 鈥淏attle Hymn of the Republic.鈥
