Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights

Last updated
Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights
AbbreviationRU4AR
FormationJanuary 2022
Type Coalition
PurposeAbortion Rights Activism
HeadquartersNew York, New York
Methods Political demonstration, Civil disobedience, Nonviolent resistance
Key people
 Sunsara Taylor, Merle Hoffman, Eve Ensler
Website https://riseup4abortionrights.org/
Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights rally in Los Angeles, CA, March 8, 2022 RiseUp4AbortionRights-LA-Rally-March8-22.jpg
Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights rally in Los Angeles, CA, March 8, 2022
Kareim McKnight of Rise Up 4 Abortion rights distributing green scarf outside Sproul Plaza in Berkeley, CA. A protestor from the Revolutionary Communist Party's revolution club spreads the word.jpg
Kareim McKnight of Rise Up 4 Abortion rights distributing green scarf outside Sproul Plaza in Berkeley, CA.

Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights is a U.S. based abortion rights coalition founded by Merle Hoffman, Lori Sokol, Sunsara Taylor and other initiators in January, 2022, aimed at preventing the U.S. Supreme Court from overturning Roe V. Wade and "decimating" abortion rights in the United States. [1] [2]

Contents

The group is among those in the United States who use the green scarf as a reproductive rights symbol, borrowing from its use in Argentina since 2003. [3]

Marches and actions

Since its founding RU4AR activists have organized protests across the country in major cities including New York City, [4] [5] Seattle, [6] [7] Los Angeles, [8] [9] [10] [11] Houston, [12] [13] Riverside, [14] [15] San Francisco, [16] [17] Santa Monica, [18] Louisville, [19] and Washington, D.C. [20] [21] They also demonstrated outside Justice Amy Coney Barret's home in Falls Church, Virginia. [22]

On May 12, 2022, RU4AR organized a protest in which approximately 2,000 high-school students walked out of school to demand that the Supreme Court not overturn the right to abortion. [23] [ better source needed ] The walkout took place more than a week after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization draft opinion was leaked, [24] sparking many protests and outrage.

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez marched with the group. [25] [26]

Reception

Other abortion rights groups and other activist groups have criticized Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights' protest strategies, its connections to the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, and the fact that it is a for-profit organization. Articles in The Daily Beast, The Intercept, and VICE detailed these groups’ criticism. [27] [25] [26]

Co-founder Sunsara Taylor is a member of Revolutionary Communist Party, USA which played a role in founding and building Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights. While she is an active party member, working as a Revolution Nothing Less talk show host [28] and writer for RCP's Revolution magazine, [29] [30] the other co-founders of the coalition, Sokol and Hoffman, [26] and the majority of RU4AR supporters are not affiliated. [31]

RU4AR's founders spoke against the allegations that the group is part of a cult of personality for Bob Avakian and a pyramid scheme in CounterPunch , [32] [33] and Taylor also opposed the charges in Revolution magazine online. [34] [35] A further article in CounterPunch described the allegations as red-baiting. [31]

Related Research Articles

Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States generally protects a pregnant individual's liberty to have an abortion. The decision struck down many abortion laws, and caused an ongoing abortion debate in the United States about whether, or to what extent, abortion should be legal, who should decide the legality of abortion, and what the role of moral and religious views in the political sphere should be. The decision also shaped debate concerning which methods the Supreme Court should use in constitutional adjudication.

Robert Bruce Avakian is an American political activist who is the founder and chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA (RCP). Coming out of the New Left of the 1960s and influenced strongly by Maoism, Avakian developed the RCP's theoretical framework, "the New Synthesis" or "New Communism". He has written several books over four decades, including an autobiography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States anti-abortion movement</span> Movement in the United States opposing abortion

The United States anti-abortion movement contains elements opposing induced abortion on both moral and religious grounds and supports its legal prohibition or restriction. Advocates generally argue that human life begins at conception and that the human zygote, embryo or fetus is a person and therefore has a right to life. The anti-abortion movement includes a variety of organizations, with no single centralized decision-making body. There are diverse arguments and rationales for the anti-abortion stance. Some anti-abortion activists allow for some permissible abortions, including therapeutic abortions, in exceptional circumstances such as incest, rape, severe fetal defects, or when the woman's health is at risk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March for Life (Washington, D.C.)</span> Annual anti-abortion rally in Washington, D.C.

The March for Life is an annual rally and march against the practice and legality of abortion, held in Washington, D.C., either on or around the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a decision legalizing abortion nationwide which was issued in 1973 by the United States Supreme Court. The participants in the march have advocated the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which happened at the end of the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization on June 24, 2022. It is a major gathering of the anti-abortion movement in the United States and it is organized by the March for Life Education and Defense Fund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merle Hoffman</span>

Merle Hoffman is an American journalist and activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revolutionary Communist Party, USA</span> Political party

The Revolutionary Communist Party, USA is a communist party in the United States founded in 1975 and led by its chairman, Bob Avakian. The party organizes for a revolution to overthrow the system of capitalism and replace it with a socialist state, with the final aim of world communism. The RCP is frequently described as a cult, a characterization to which it strongly objects.

Abortion in Oklahoma is illegal unless the abortion is necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunsara Taylor</span> Politician, communist

Sunsara Taylor is a political activist affiliated with the Harlem-based Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, also known as RCP or RevCom. She has been a vocal opponent of the anti-abortion movement, the sex industry, and U.S. imperialism, having previously debated these topics on Fox News.

Refuse Fascism is a U.S.-based anti-fascist coalition organization, led by the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA. Until the 2020 United States presidential election, it was characterized by its call for the removal of the Trump administration by non-violent street protests. Since the election, it has counter-demonstrated at a series of pro-Trump events.

Abortion in Alaska is legal at all stages of pregnancy, as long as a licensed physician performs the procedure. 63% of adults said in a poll by the Pew Research Center that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Alaska was one of only four states to make abortion legal between 1967 and 1970, a few years before the US Supreme Court's decision in 1973's Roe v. Wade ruling. Alaska had consent requirements for women seeking abortions by 2007 that required abortion providers to warn patients of a link between abortion and breast cancer.

Abortion in the District of Columbia is legal at all stages of pregnancy. In 1971, in United States v. Vuitch, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a law saying abortion was allowed for health reasons, which include "psychological and physical well-being". Consequently, the District of Columbia became a destination for women seeking abortions starting that year.

Abortion in North Dakota is illegal. The state's sole abortion clinic has been moved to Minnesota.

Abortion in Tennessee is illegal from fertilization, except to "prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman".

Abortion in California is legal up to the point of fetal viability. An abortion ban was in place by 1900, and by 1950, it was a criminal offense for a woman to have an abortion. In 1962, the American Law Institute published their model penal code as it applied to abortions, with three circumstances where they believed a physician could justifiably perform an abortion, and California adopted a version of this code. In 2002, California passed a law guaranteeing women the right to have an abortion "prior to viability of the fetus, or when the abortion is necessary to protect the life or health of the woman." In 2022, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 1, which amended the Constitution of California to explicitly protect the right to abortion and contraception by a margin of 33.76%.

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, No. 19-1392, 597 U.S. ___ (2022), is a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the court held that the Constitution of the United States does not confer a right to abortion. The court's decision overruled both Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), returning to individual states the power to regulate any aspect of abortion not protected by federal law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Women's March</span> 2021 demonstration in the United States

A women's march was held on October 2, 2021, in protest of a recent abortion law in the U.S. state of Texas, the Texas Heartbeat Act. The demonstration was announced on September 2. More than 90 organizations participated. Although organizers of the Washington, D.C. march applied for a permit for 10,000 people, actual attendance was around 5,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–2023 abortion protests</span> 2022 protests following the ruling of Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization

A series of ongoing protests supporting abortion rights and anti-abortion counter-protests began in the United States on May 2, 2022, following the leak of a draft majority opinion for the U.S. Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which stated that the Constitution of the United States does not confer any Reproductive rights, thus overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court officially overturned Roe and Casey in Dobbs, resulting in further protests outside of the U.S. Supreme Court building and across the country, eventually to major cities across the world both in favor of and against the decision.

On May 2, 2022, a series of protests erupted in the United States following the leak of a U.S. Supreme Court document, revealing the possible overturn of Roe v. Wade, a law protecting the right to abortion in the United States. Soon after, a Women's March took place on May 3, 2022, and then again on May 14, 2022, as part of the 2022 abortion rights protests in the United States. These protests have demanded an immediate protection to Roe v. Wade, an end to domestic violence and violence against women, and for an end of sexism in the United States. Counter protests have also taken place but on a much smaller scale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Mobilization for Reproductive Justice</span> Activist Coalition for Reproductive Justice

The National Mobilization for Reproductive Justice (NMRJ) is a coalition of grassroots organizations and unions supporting reproductive rights, particularly after the 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade in the United States. The coalition was initiated by Radical Women in August of 2021 and has local committees throughout the US. It is currently focusing on an effort to get the AFL-CIO to organize a national emergency labor conference to build defense of reproductive justice.

References

  1. ↑ Woodward, Alex (24 June 2022). "'It's a war': The woman who helped open one of the first abortion clinics in America on the fight to protect women's rights". The Independent. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "Abortion Rights Activists Rally Outside Supreme Court on Roe v. Wade Anniversary". Newsweek. January 21, 2022. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  3. ↑ Herron, Madeline (June 24, 2022). "Why Green Became a Symbol of Abortion Rights Fight". New England Cable News . Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "Women protest attack on abortion rights in US". La Prensa Latina. March 8, 2022. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  5. ↑ Minsky, Tequila (March 9, 2022). "Protesters rally in Union Square to call out the assault on reproductive rights". The Villager. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  6. ↑ Horne, Deborah (14 May 2022). "Hundreds rally, march for abortion rights" . Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "Where abortion-related protests and events are planned in Seattle and WA". The Seattle Times. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  8. ↑ Blevins, Aaron (29 July 2022). "'Urban Light' damaged during protest". Beverly Press. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Two Arrested at LACMA During Abortion Rights Protest". NBC Los Angeles. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  10. ↑ "Abortion rights protest at art museum blocks traffic; three arrested". Antelope Valley Press. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  11. ↑ "4 abortion rights activists arrested after "die-in" protest at Los Angeles City Hall". CBS News. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  12. ↑ Welch, Monique (6 June 2022). "Abortion rights activists strip down to their underwear during Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church service". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  13. ↑ Faquih, Duaah (6 June 2022). "Lakewood Church service interrupted by abortion-rights supporters". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  14. ↑ Downey, David (2 August 2022). "Sheriff Chad Bianco, Riverside council member clash over her role in abortion protest at courthouse". Press Enterprise. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  15. ↑ Hylton, Chelsea (31 July 2022). "Riverside Police Arrest Abortion Rights Protestors for Vandalism". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  16. ↑ "Fourth of July Abortion Rights Protest at Ferry Building". NBC Bay Area. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  17. ↑ Liggins, Greg (14 May 2022). "Abortion rights protesters take to the streets of San Francisco". KTVU. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  18. ↑ Solis, Nathan; Wigglesworth, Alex (16 July 2022). "Dueling abortion rallies keep their distance in Santa Monica". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  19. ↑ Vogt, Dustin; Ochoa, David (21 April 2022). "Protesters on both sides of abortion debate collide at Metro Hall". WAVE3. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  20. ↑ Thompson, Steve; Boorstein, Michelle (21 June 2022). "With Supreme Court abortion ruling pending, protesters rally and wait". The Washington Post. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  21. ↑ Silverman, Ellie (24 June 2022). "Protests erupt in D.C., around the country as Roe v. Wade falls". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  22. ↑ Evans, Zachary (7 July 2022). "Pro-Choice Activists Covered in Fake Blood Deliver Baby Dolls to Amy Coney Barrett's Home". National Review. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  23. ↑ Fofana, Oumou; Bamberger, Cayla (May 12, 2022). "NYC HS students stage walkout in protest of leaked Roe v. Wade draft opinion". New York Post. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  24. ↑ Gerstein, Josh; Ward, Alexander (May 2, 2022). "Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows". Politico . Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  25. 1 2 Mackey, Robert. "Abortion Rights Activists Call New Group Leading Protests a Front for a Far-left Cult". The Intercept. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  26. 1 2 3 Merlan, Anna. "The Abortion Rights Group Other Activists Want Nothing to Do With". VICE. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  27. ↑ Sommer, Will (11 July 2022). "Is This Communist 'Cult' Trying to Hijack the Abortion Movement?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  28. ↑ "The Conversation 2022-03-22". The Young Turks. Mar 22, 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  29. ↑ Garcia, Sofia (1 November 2016). "Communist Plans To Defy Campus Ban". The Chicago Maroon. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  30. ↑ Yurcaba, Jo (29 September 2015). "#StandWithPP Supporters Share Their Thoughts". Bustle. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  31. 1 2 Street, Paul (1 August 2022). "Why is "the Left" Red-Baiting Rise Up for Abortion Rights on the Eve of Fascist Destruction?". Counterpunch. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  32. ↑ Sokol, Lori; Hoffman, Merle; Taylor, Sunsara (19 July 2022). "We Need Honest Debate, Not Unprincipled Attacks: A Further Response to the Attacks On Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights". CounterPunch . Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  33. ↑ Sokol, Lori; Hoffman, Merle; Taylor, Sunsara (17 June 2022). "A Response to Jezebel by Leaders of Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights". CounterPunch . Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  34. ↑ Taylor, Sunsara. "In Reply to the Reactionary Hit Piece in the Daily Beast: Why I DO Follow Bob Avakian...and Why YOU Should Too". revcom.us. RCP Publications. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  35. ↑ Taylor, Sunsara. "Robert Mackey Dishonestly Demonizes Bob Avakian, Erases Revolution, and Trashes the Truth WILL THE "INTERCEPT" STAND BY THIS?". revcom.us. RCP Publications. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
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