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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1989)
Anti-choicers hold clinic hostage When clinic staff arrived for work, access was already blocked by more than 75 protesters. and helped four staff and nine clients enter the clinic. A few hours later, police returned and made another temporary path so more people could enter. ince the Supreme Court in July opened In between, no one went in or out. the gateway for state-based restrictions “It was a lot rougher [than previous on abortion, anti-choice demonstrators have rushed into the fray with aggressive protests at protests],” said Hanzo. “They surrounded cars, pushed patients. There were women local clinics. crying. It was really violent. It was frighten At the same time, clinic administrators and pro-choice activists have stepped up their side ing. It felt like anything could go out of control at any time.” of the struggle, seeking court orders to limit After police left the second time, patients clinic protests and holding a march on and staff were virtually held hostage in the November 12 that drew thousands of people, building until the protesters disbanded about making the event Portland’s largest pro- 4:15. From inside, they could hear the choice demonstration to date. In October, a day-long “Operation Rescue” protesters shouting “Please don’t murder your baby” and “There’s a place reserved in hell protest at the Portland Feminist Women’s for you.” Health Center kept some health workers and patients trapped inside the building at 6510 “A lot of people were denied access to the SE Foster Road while anti-abortion picketers building,” said Hanzo. “They were told by the blockaded the doors. antis that the clinic was closed.” Jude Hanzo, executive director of the The Feminist Women’s Health Center has health center, said the October 28 protest been the site of weekly demonstrations since seemed to mark a new, aggressive turn in 1984. A federal injunction prohibits protests local anti-abortion strategy. there in a 25-foot zone surrounding the front When clinic staff arrived for work at 7:15 door; it also limits protesters from screaming or chanting in a way that interferes with clinic am, the front and side doors were already blocked by more than 75 protesters. Hanzo services, trespassing on clinic property or said she and other workers informed blocking access to the building. protesters of a federal injunction that restricts The October 28 demonstration was the protests at the clinic, then drove clients to a second time the clinic was the target of the nationally-organized Operation Rescue. safe place nearby. Typically, anti-abortion protesters attempt to Police arrived after 9 am, cordoned off a path leading to the side door on 65 th Avenue sit in, block doors and shut down clinic BY ANNDEE HOCHMAN S operations for the day. In a demonstration just two weeks after the Supreme Court’s July 3 decision, about 60 picketers blocked all the clinic doors. When police pulled them away from the doors and formed a line on the sidewalk, protesters rushed in and swarmed the doors again, a tactic known as “capping the chute.” After that demonstration, 28 individuals as well as the Advocates for Life organization were found in contempt of court for violating terms of the injunction. Typically, violators are not fined until their second breach of the injunction; then they must pay $500. At the most recent demonstration, police did not make any arrests. Generally, police policy on clinic demonstrations is to work as quickly and efficiently as possible to pull protesters from the doors and get patients inside. “The police have said that if protesters don’t rush the doors or break the police line, they won’t make arrests,” Hanzo said. The health center plans to meet with Mayor Bud Clark in an effort to change that policy. Also, clinic administrators are pursuing contempt-of-court charges on the October 28 demonstrators. “I think once they have to pay fines and are held accountable, they’ll stop,” said Hanso. “We’re also planning to meet with the mayor to talk about why we think they need to make arrests. It’s important not to rely on one thing as the whole solution.” ▼ CRAFT FAIRIES YOUR FAVORITE 30-40 LOCAL CRAFTSW0MEN DISPLAY THEIR WARES IN TIME FOR HOLIDAY SHOPPING GLAAD confronts NBC Nightly News NBC reported the story without question ing the motives of the “unnamed sources,” and ignored the Navy’s vested interest in suggesting that a “troubled homosexual” was behind the blast. GLAAD’s complaint against oard members of the Gay and Lesbian NBC’s coverage was buttressed by the large Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amount of mail NBC received after its recently met with NBC Nightly News execu coverage of the investigation. tive producer William Wheatley to discuss the “The community’s response underscored “sensationalistic" presentations of stories with the seriousness of the situation,” said GLAAD “homosexual angles.” At issue was NBC’s board member Michael Allen. “We made it coverage of the United States Navy’s inves clear that the views of gay and lesbian tigation into the explosion on the USS Iowa spokes people must be included in stories that last April, which killed^? sailors. impact the lives of gays and lesbians. To In May “unnamed sources” within the many in the media, this is still a novel idea.” Naval Investigative Services (NIS) leaked to NBC correspondent Fred Francis claims that ----------------------------▼---------------------------- there was evidence of a murder/suicide involving a “homosexual relationship” In a breakthrough for the major main between Gunner’s Mate Clayton Hartwig stream press, the San Francisco Examiner (who was killed in the blast) and Gunner’s observed this year’s celebration of the 20th Mate Kendall Truitt (who survived). In June, Anniversary of Stonewall by publishing a 16- Francis reported that Navy investigators were part series called “Gay In America” (GIA). “convinced” that Hartwig was a “troubled GIA includes an account of the growth of homosexual” who was suicidal because other the gay and lesbian community, a nationwide sailors had rejected his advances. In both survey of gay and straight attitudes towards cases the national media picked up the story, gay life in America, and news stories and with attribution to NBC. personal accounts on such topics as gays and GLAAD members told Wheatley that “if religion, gays and politics, gay culture, gays in you’re going to put up a graphic during an the arts, and the impact of AIDS on the gay early story on the investigation that says community. Troubled Homosexual,’ you have an By arrangement with the San Francisco obligation to state that the final report Examiner, GLAAD is making a 64-page contained no finding of homosexuality. And reprint of GIA available to students, activists if you are going to do a lead story saying that and others who might be interested in the David Smith told NIS interrogators that Hartwig had made sexual advances toward series. Prices are $4.50 each (including him, you have a responsibility to report that postage), or $3 each for bulk orders of 25 or Smith later recanted his testimony, saying that more. For more information, or to order he had been threatened into telling the NIS reprints, write to GLAAD, 80 Varick Street #3E, New York, NY 10013. w what it wanted to hear.” B at CAFÉ M OCHA 1 0 AM-6 PM SUNDAY, DEC. 10 ▼ CERAMICS Y JEW ELRY Y CLOTHING Y BOOKS Y CRYSTALS Y INCENSE y ART Y MUSIC Y MUCH MORE ONE DOLLAR COVER ENTERTAINMENT T FOOD ▼ BEVERAGES 4108 N E SANDY BLVD. 288-9950 just out Y 13 T December 1989