Nationwide Saturday #ProtestPP to Lay Bare Planned Parenthood's Alleged Criminal Acts
A nationwide protest against Planned Parenthood on Saturday morning, August 22, looks to focus more attention on the abortion provider's alleged criminal activity in light of the evidence provided by an undercover video sting operation.
The pro-life coalition, going under the name #ProtestPP, will hold demonstrations at Planned Parenthood facilities throughout the fifty states and District of Columbia on Saturday morning from nine to 11.
Eric J. Scheidler, executive director at the Pro-Life Action League, told The Christian Post that his organization helped coordinate the protests due to the leaked Planned Parenthood videos.
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"It was clear that public protest was called for to keep this story in front of people's eyes. As more and more videos came out, pro-life activist leaders could see that people were getting fired up like never before," said Scheidler.
"Our aim is to make this big national scandal a local story all over the country by bringing public protest to the actual abortion facilities where the dismembering and selling of aborted babies' bodies is taking place."
Undercover Video Allegations
A California-based pro-life group known as the Center for Medical Progress has released several undercover videos, an plans to release several more, purportedly showing Planned Parenthood engaged in illegal and unethical activities. Planned Parenthood employees admitting to performing the illegal sale of aborted baby body parts, and the most recent video provided evidence that a Planned Parenthood abortionist killed a live born baby.
In the first undercover video released, Dr. Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood's senior director for medical services, spoke of selling baby body parts while eating a salad and drinking wine.
"We've been very good at getting heart, lung, liver … I'm not gonna crush that part," said Nucatola. "I'm going to basically crush below, I'm not gonna crush above, and I am gonna see if I can get it all intact."
"At the national office, we have a litigation and law department which just really doesn't want us to be the middle people for this issue right now … But I will tell you that behind closed doors these conversations are happening with the affiliates."
Other videos released provided more evidence indicating that Planned Parenthood profited from the sale of aborted baby parts.
The videos have reignited calls for Planned Parenthood to lose its hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, as well as possibly face investigation for violating the law.
In response to the furor, Planned Parenthood and its allies have claimed that the videos were doctored and that the abortion provider's activities are well within the law.
"Based on a two-minute edited excerpt from a lengthy conversation, false and baseless accusations are being promulgated again about medical providers," stated Planned Parenthood in late July following the release of the third undercover video.
"The opportunity to donate fetal tissue has been a source of comfort for many women who have chosen to donate. We will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our patients, and advocate for removing barriers to essential health care."
Thousands May Come
While ProtestPP notes that as many as 300 demonstrations nationwide are expected on Saturday morning, estimates for expected numbers of attendees are not available.
For the Planned Parenthood protest scheduled to take place in St. Paul, Minnesota, local media speculated that hundreds may demonstrate.
"Pro-Life Action Ministries, as well as other pro-life organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens will protest at the St. Paul Planned Parenthood, 671 Vandalia St., Saturday, from 9-11 a.m.," reported KARE Channel 11 on Thursday.
Leslie Blackwell, pro-life activist and organizer for the Planned Parenthood protest taking place in Richmond, Virginia, told CP that "I can't say whether we'll have 30 or 300 ... could be 1,000."
"I've hit the press hard and pushed the info out to all lists, social media, trying to blanket our community, etc. My email box has been swamped with requests for info," explained Blackwell.
In addition to the demonstrations planned across the United States, according to ProtestPP's website protests will also be held overseas, at clinics in Honduras, Ireland, Mexico, Northern Ireland, and the Slovak Republic.
