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#resist, abortion, missouri, protest, Roe v Wade, Supreme Court, Warrensburg
From 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. today a grassroots pro-choice demonstration, organized online and by word of mouth, took place on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in downtown Warrensburg. Over 100 individuals participated. There was a constant law enforcement presence. Most passing traffic signaled their support by honking their car horns. A few anti-choice individuals shouted what appeared to be unintelligible talking points which were usually meet with sharp retorts.
This was a much younger crowd and mostly female. They are awake and motivated. It would be a big mistake to ignore or discount their activism.
They were fearless.
Woman’s rights are human rights”
“Keep your bans off my body”
“Not your body? Not your conversation”
“…trying to decipher what your little mythical book has to say about these very real political issues…”
“None of your business”
“If my uterus shot bullets…”
“This is not a surgical instrument”
“My body is not your political playground”
“Why does every woman know another woman that was raped, but no man knows a rapist”
“This land is my land”
Several large trucks trolled the demonstration with drive-bys. One truck, with a barely readable sign (“abortion is murder”) and a defaced American flag trailing from its bed made several passes over the course of the demonstration. The occupants were greeted with jeers and shouts about compensation.
“If my uterus shot bullets the government wouldn’t regulate it”
“Why am I fighting for the same rights my grandma fought for”
“Pro-choice is pro-women”
“Break up with your sexist boyfriends”
Two anti-choice counter-protesters across the street were met with a constant stream of heckling.
“I’m with stupid”
“Keep your laws off my fucking womb”
“You do not get to make my choice for my future”
“Abortion is health care”
Observing from across the street:
Keep your politics out of my uterus”
“Keep your politics out of my uterus”
“Keep your laws off my body”
After pro-choice demonstrators took over the northeast corner the two anti-choice protesters, one with an unreadable sign (“baby lives matter” – come on, can’t they think of anything else?), crossed to the southeast corner to stand next to the police. Two pro-choice protestors crossed to the same corner. A police officer tried to move them back across the street. They refused to move (it’s a public sidewalk) and the main body of pro-choice demonstrators on the courthouse sidewalk jeered and shouted from across the street. The police officer eventually relented.
“Protect women’s rights”
“Don’t let men make laws about a woman’s body”
“My body, my choice”
After 6:00 p.m. the remaining demonstrators marched down the sidewalk toward the University of Central Missouri campus.
Previously:
Stare decisis don’t mean shit (May 2, 2022)
Into the streets (May 2, 2022)
Gleeful handwringing (May 3, 2022)
It’s the GOP’s world, now you just get to live in it (May 3, 2022)
Into the streets, part 2 (May 3, 2022)
A statement (May 3, 2022)
Into the streets, part 3 (May 3, 2022)
BREAKING NEWS: Pearl-clutcher clutches pearls (May 3, 2022)
Heartland POD: SCOTUS Abortion Case (May 3, 2022)
Into the streets, part 4 (May 4, 2022)
Into the streets, part 5 (May 5, 2022)
McCullen v Coakley (2014) gently weeps (May 5, 2022)
Excellent – durning the pandemic I have made multiple signs supporting abortion. The Planned Parenthood in St Louis is 5 blocks from my condo. The “thrive” antiabortion building is is few blocks past me and then a few blocks up is the catholic Basilica of St Louis. Everyday these people are in front of PPH blocking access (actually against federal law). Now that the weather is getting nice again, I need to find some companions to help back them down.
Pingback: Pro-choice demonstration in Warrensburg, Missouri – May 6, 2022, part 2 | Show Me Progress
How do I find out about the protests befor it is too late to join in?
Sometimes these grassroots events are organized by people who start with their immediate social media circles. The information gets spread virally. Notice can be hit and miss.
We cover these events as much as we can, always on the watch, and even at that we miss a number of them. It’s part of the nature of these events.
Keep an eye out via social media. Connect with state and local activist groups. Reach out to like-minded friends and ask them to help keep you informed.
You can always organize an event on your own, including your circle of friends. Your right to free speech includes the “public square” – public spaces and sidewalks – as long as you don’t block others’ access nor block public streets.
One person holding a sign in public is a powerful presence. Try it. The first time you do so on your own it can be scary. After that it gets easier.
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