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View Winners → Planned Parenthood Rally Brings Over 1,000 to City Hall Saturday Morning
Pasadena Independent Sep 19, 2015
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– Photo by Terry Miller
Despite the blistering heat, approximately 1,000 people rallied Saturday morning on the steps of Pasadena City Hall to show community-wide support for the millions of people who benefit from the health care and education services provided by Planned Parenthood.
The rally was held in response to not only the Republican Congress’ attempt to defund PP but also “the series of fraudulent videos recorded by an anti-abortion extremist group, biased investigations into Planned Parenthood and their practices, and anti-abortion protestors disrupting care at Planned Parenthood locations across the country.” Officials of Planned Parenthood say the videos released had been altered and severely edited in an attempt to discredit the group.
Concerned that opponents of Planned Parenthood people had blended into the crowd with signs quoting the Bible, organizers called Pasadena police, who kept a watchful eye on the proceedings.
Saturday’s large turnout included Mayor Terry Tornek who was quick to point out that he was there as a private individual supporting Planned Parenthood and not on behalf of city council.
“It’s important for us to thank our community of supporters and show that we will not let these fraudulent attacks hinder access to care, no matter what,” said Sheri Bonner, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley.
“I am here today representing myself, my sisters, my mother and grandmother and the generations of women in our family who have come ahead of me,” said Luna, a local student. “Growing up, my mom always told my sisters and I that if we were in trouble and we felt we had no one to talk to about relationships and sexuality, we should reach out to and trust in Planned Parenthood.”
Planned Parenthood supporters also heard from Congresswoman Judy Chu, Rector Ed Bacon, Reverend Susan Russell, and student leader Amanda Flores.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted on two bills that would drastically reduce access to healthcare for women, H.R. 3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act, and H.R. 3504, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Together, these two bills would leave women without preventative health services like cancer screenings and family planning and would inappropriately and dangerously change the doctor-patient relationship through unnecessary requirements and draconian penalties. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) managed the debate on the House floor for the Democrats on H.R. 3504 and released the following statement:
“Misleading titles cannot hide the real intent behind these bills: further undermining a woman’s right to choose, a right that has been constitutionally guaranteed for more than 42 years by Roe v. Wade. Not only do these bills attempt to politicize women’s health and limit women’s access to abortion, they would interfere with the sacred doctor-patient relationship and substitute a physician’s best judgment with the judgment of a handful of politicians.
“Defunding Planned Parenthood, as Republicans want, would have a devastating impact on women—especially women in rural communities, low-income women, and women of color —and would deny women access to preventive care, life-saving cancer screenings, and family planning services.
“It is a blatant attack on women and families to defund an organization that uses federal funds to prevent abortions and to help families stay healthy, and cannot even use federal funding for abortion. It would be the saddest of ironies that, by defunding Planned Parenthood’s critical contraception and other reproductive health services in the name of opposing abortion, we would see more unintended pregnancies and, therefore, more abortions.
“Politicians are not doctors. We should be concerned about doing our jobs and fully fund high-quality women are health care instead of trying to keep doctors from doing theirs.”
Following the protest, protesters marched down Colorado Boulevard to explosive support from passersby.
“We’re here to show the community that we’re proud of the work Planned Parenthood does and we won’t let women in our community suffer because extremists want to take away their affordable, high-quality care,” said Ariella Levitch.
The rally also served as a way for people to sign a petition stating their support for Planned Parenthood.
The rally also served as a way for people to sign a petition stating their support for Planned Parenthood. If you’d like to sign the petition, feel free to send an email to info@pppsgv.org
