Apr 15

Apr 15 Mifepristone

Demonstrations, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

Anyone who thought that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization last year was the final word on abortion rights was sorely wrong. In the months since, a number of states have taken advantage of Dobbs to impose restrictions on or altogether outlaw abortion. Early Friday morning, under the cover of night, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation limiting abortions to the first six weeks of pregnancy. Given what happened in the race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court ten days ago and in Kansas last Fall, I do not understand why someone who aspires to the presidency would sign such legislation. While doing so probably better positions DeSantis in the Republican presidential primaries, his action could well sink his campaign should he win that nomination.

On April 7, Federal District Court Judge District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk issued an order denying access to the abortion-inducing drug Mifepristone. I have not bothered to read Judge Kacsmaryk’s opinion, which by all accounts is deeply flawed in its rulings on standing, the FDA’s administrative rule-making authority, and the underlying science.

With that decision currently under review by the U.S. Supreme Court, I was not surprised to learn that Chicago’s Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights scheduled a demonstration in Federal Plaza today. Regrettably, I misread the Facebook announcement, so I arrived just before 2:00 PM, just in time for the march through the Loop, but after the speeches in Federal Plaza had wrapped.

About 125 demonstrators snaked through the Loop, first up State Street to the Walgreens store; then to Millennium Park in front of Cloud Gate (a.k.a. the Bean); then to the Art Institute of Chicago; and then back to Federal Plaza for concluding remarks by one of the organizers, Jen Becker. Given the warm weather, the march route bulged with locals and tourists just hanging out. Many looked on approvingly, but at least two people gave a thumbs down as the marchers passed by.

At least four people shared a bullhorn, speaking about the issue de jour and leading their fellow marchers in chants—”Women are Not In-Cu-Ba-Tors” was my favorite. Tonight’s Sun-Times article referenced additional chants: “Fascist Judges Make Me Ill, Hands Off the Abortion Pill” and “Red State, Blue State You Can’t Hide, the War on Abortion is Nationwide.”

The marchers paused at the Walgreens at the corner of State and Randolph to condemn Walgreens’ decision not to fill prescriptions for Mifepristone. Throughout the march, the participants were loud and impassioned.; this was not merely a Saturday afternoon walk in the park.

While the marchers included a wide variety of people, the t-shirts suggested that many leaned far left. Not surprising given that the Revolution Club of Chicago was handing out literature. In a humorous moment during an otherwise deadly serious demonstration, several speakers had difficulty pronouncing Mifepristone—the impetus for today’s march and a tongue twister.

After the march, I had a nice conversation with one of the speakers regarding the turnout, among other things. I told him I had my usual complaint: Attendance—even at 125—was pretty low considering that the impetus for the demonstration is at the top of the headlines. He countered, pointing out that he had marched earlier in the week at a smaller demonstration, and saw himself on the national news. That was proof, according to him, that even a small demonstration can be effective. We then found ourselves discussing the merits of traditional Medicare versus Medicare Advantage. That discussion was not rooted in political philosophy, but personal experience.

I have no doubt that I will be photographing similar demonstrations in the weeks to come: Abortion rights are becoming an increasingly incendiary issue as the 2024 election approaches.

{Click on an Image to Enlarge It]—The color images were created using a 28-mm prime lens; the monochrome images were created using a 9-mm prime lens.