Abortion rights supporters to rally today

The Alibi’s reported in the past on the hundreds who turn out on Good Friday to protest in front of Planned Parenthood. Smaller demonstrations are daily events at that clinic and others.

Today, at about 4:30 p.m., Planned Parenthood of New Mexico is calling abortion rights supporters to gather at the clinic on 719 San Mateo NE. The rally is intended to express opposition to anti-choice groups that harass and intimidate abortion providers.

Project Defending Life set up shop down the street from Planned Parenthood a few years ago. Since then, it’s moved directly across the street.

During last year’s Good Friday protests, there was talk of Operation Rescue coming to town. That anti-abortion group led the protests at Dr. George Tiller’s offices in Wichita, Kan. Tiller performed third-trimester abortions, and he was shot and killed in May 2009 as he left church.

Few doctors nationwide perform late-term abortions, so Dr. Curtis Boyd of Albuquerque stepped in to fill his shoes.

Planned Parenthood calls Operation Rescue out in its news release about today’s protests:

The group engages in daily protests at clinics providing abortion services, using inflammatory signage and “Truth Trucks” with huge, graphic images of bloody, mutilated fetuses to upset patients, annoy neighbors and disrupt businesses nearby. It is significant to note that Operation Rescue’s senior policy adviser, Cheryl Sullenger, served two years in prison for conspiring to bomb abortion clinics.

• abortion
• planned parenthood
• operation rescue
• project defending life
• protest
• demonstration