REPORT: Asheville women demand reopening of last abortion clinic in N.C.
On Aug. 8, women and allies in Asheville, North Carolina, gathered in Pack Square to protest sweeping abortion bans in the state and the closing of its last remaining clinic, Femcare, which is located in Asheville.
There was a spirited opening rally that included chants such as "When women's rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!" The crowd also heard from speakers, including Emily Parker representing the Asheville chapter of WORD -- Women Organized to Resist and Defend -- the organization that initiated the event, and several people who shared personal stories and talked about the importance of abortion access. After hearing from some very powerful speakers, the chanting continued.
Following the rally, protesters marched through the downtown area, drawing people out into the streets to take photos and cheer the marchers on. The community's support was overwhelming. At one point, protesters were forced to spill into the streets because there were too many to fit on the sidewalk. When protesters circled back around to the starting point, they continued to chant. A woman from the Open Umbrella Collective spoke and discussed ways to donate to Femcare to help them reopen.
WORD Asheville was encouraged by the support this Call to Action received, and thrilled to see women and others fighting back against these attacks on our reproductive rights! They pledge to continue the struggle until Femcare is reopened and to demand reproductive rights for women across the state and nationwide in the face of a growing right-wing offensive on our rights.
Next, WORD Asheville is joining the national call to action Aug. 23-26 for Women's Equality Day under the banner "We Won't Go Back -- We Will Fight Back!"
Nationwide Demonstrations for Women’s Equality Day – Aug. 23-26
We Won't Go Back, We Will Fight Back!
Sat., Aug. 24: WORD joins the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington Rally and March in D.C.
On August 23-26, WORD is calling for nationwide demonstrations in honor of Women's Equality Day to to stop the right-wing attacks targeting women’s rights and the rights of all oppressed people. On the East Coast, WORD is mobilizing a contingent to participate in the march and rally commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington in Washington, D.C.
Read the call to action and see a list of demonstrations across the United States.
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