This past Monday evening, the same day a Google Doodle commemorated what would have been the 131st birthday of Alice Paul—a prominent suffragist who believed public demonstrations were the most effective way to voting rights for women—three members of FURIE (Feminist Uprising to Resist Inequality and Exploitation), a Chicago grassroots feminist organization, sat in a coffee shop in Ukrainian Village discussing their own upcoming public demonstration, a counterprotest against this Sunday’s Illinois March for Life, which they have taken to calling the “March for Lies.”
“People want to parent without excessive interference from the state,” says Kirkendall.
“We want to call people on their bullshit,” Bianchi continues. “We want to tell them that their antiabortion policy is not pro-life, that it’s sexist and racist.”
“Or they call themselves ‘abortion survivors,'” says Bianchi.
Both Kirkendall and Bianchi have experienced violence outside abortion clinics firsthand: they’ve volunteered as escorts, guiding women past the gauntlet of protesters standing outside.
“Planned Parenthood and NARAL and NOW are not going to be leading the protests,” says Bianchi. “They do good work—I will always defend Planned Parenthood—but I won’t be uncritical of their political strategy. They have millions of dollars on the line.”
