From Sept 27 – Nov 5, the Forty Days for “Life” campaign will be harassing patients outside of clinics around the country every day for 40 days straight. During this campaign, we tend to see a lot bigger crowds with a lot more emboldened anti-choice behavior. They yell at and shame patients, hold up misleading and offensive signs, and overall try to send a political message that they should get to dictate others’ lives. This is our time to step up and protect the clinics!

***We will be having an orientation to clinic defense at 8:45 and starting our defense at 9:00***
If you have never been to a clinic defense, please plan to come at 8:45. We will meet across the street from the clinic.

Their stated goal is to have at least one person outside the clinic every day, but weekends and days where surgical abortions take place are particularly popular. Saturdays at the Seattle E. Madison St clinic have a regular (monthly) crowd that is even larger during the 40 Days campaign. Our goal is to show up and show that, actually, most people support harassment-free healthcare and want people to be able to make their own choices about when and how to make a family. We get lectured so patients (who are sometimes feeling vulnerable) don’t. We show that we stand with Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health clinics.

Please note: this Planned Parenthood will be open during this defense, so our tactics in blocking the anti-choicers will be centered on ensuring that we are creating a supportive presence for patients. We ask that if you have not done a clinic defense before, please arrive 15 min early for training on deescalation tactics.

We will follow up the defense with an organizing meeting nearby.