Prochoice Call to Action

Prochoice Call to Action – Melbourne

7:30am Tuesday 10th February
Parliament Car Park Entrance
Macarthur Street, East Melbourne

The Parliament of Victoria sits for the first time in 2015 on Tuesday. Welcoming MPs as they arrive at the Parliament car park will be the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants (HOGPI). In recent years they have erected a banner along Macarthur Street. One year they added a cross for every abortion performed in Victoria throughout the year, and the next year they added a breast cancer awareness ribbon (claiming a link between abortion and breast cancer) for every abortion performed in Victoria.They will be back in 2015, supported by St Patrick’s Cathedral, Youth for Life and Rachel Carling-Jenkins MLC of the Democratic Labour Party. Carling-Jenkins has entered parliament promising to wind back the Abortion Law Reform Act 2008, beginning with Section 8.

Victorians must take this opportunity to remind MPs that the majority of Victorians are prochoice and support the current laws.

Bring placards, banners, invite family and friends, make your voices heard and let the HOGPI know that we are #NEVERGOINGBACK

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How to get there:
Exit Parliament Station at Macarthur Street exit and walk 100 metres north-east.
Catch the 11, 12 or 109 Tram to Parliament Station, Macarthur Street and walk 90 metres north-east.

40 Days of Obscenity

This morning (Feb 16th 2013) at the Fertility Control Clinic a 40 Days for Life protester was displaying graphic images to every person who passed by on foot or in a vehicle. Patients entering the clinic found these to be so distressing that the clinic called for Police attendance, labelling the images obscene.

Police were unable to stop the woman displaying the images as she claimed to have authorisation from the courts. A compromise was reached whereby she would not display them to children or towards the road, while Police took photos of the images to verify her claims.

We do not intend to reproduce the images here but this image censored to remove the images shows how the woman displayed them to passers by.

Clinic staff despair at these protesters as they have to explain to their patients and families how they are allowed to inflict grief and shame. Sadly these religious bigots just don’t care for women.

With strength in numbers we can keep 40 Days for Life away from the clinic entrance.
Join us 9:30am every Saturday at 118 Wellington Parade East Melbourne.

The Bullies and Cowards No Show

On the last Parliamentary sitting day for 2012 only prochoice messages were seen by Victorian MPs.

Like the true bullies and cowards they are Helper’s of God’s Precious Infants (HOGPI) did not show up at Parliament this morning. This is despite pledging to be in attendance on each of the 70 sitting days of Victoria’s parliament this year.

Dozens of cars, cyclists and even a few trams sounded their support for a woman’s right to reproductive choices demonstrating that Victorians in their majority support choice.  As they drove into the Parliamentary car park, Victorian MPs saw women and men standing together supporting choice.
Victoria Police had expected HOGPI to show up, providing half a dozen officers to keep an eye on proceedings. When it was clear they weren’t turning up with their banner the police departed and left us to continue our peaceful action.

The failure of HOGPI to show up (again) demonstrates how prochoice action is making a difference in Victoria. Their Rosary Parade has failed to turn up at the Fertility Control Clinic since October.  As the bullies they are, when confronted, they hide away like cowards.  Our presence keeps them from intimidating women accessing services at the clinic and gives a voice to the prochoice majority outside Parliament.

Our success requires your ongoing support.
We have two more clinic defences before Christmas.
Fertility Control Clinic
118 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne
9:30am
Saturday, 15 December
Saturday, 22 December
Join us and keep those who seek to intimidate and harass women away from the clinic entrance.

Dangerous Remedy

Based upon “It’s Not Nice” Dangerous Remedy tells the fascinating story of Dr Bertram Wainer – a story all but forgotten by most.  Before the Menhennitt ruling abortions in Victoria were provided in backyards, or in discreet clinics acting illegally.  Police corruption was rife with bribes paid by some forewarn of raids.  Dr Bertram Wainer helped to change it all.

8:30pm Sunday November 4th 2012 on ABC1

We encourage everyone to watch this telemovie to be reminded of years past and why we are Never Going Back.

Defend the Fertility Control Clinic!

You’re needed!
Saturday, 3 November, 10.00 am
and every Saturday

Defend the Fertility Control Clinic!
Keep Abortion Rights Legal!

The anti-abortion forces are intensifying their attack on legalised abortion in Victoria, so they are increasing their harassment outside the Fertility Control Clinic. Until now, they have routinely appeared in small numbers every morning and in large numbers on the fourth Saturday of each month. Every fourth Saturday, pro-choice activists have stood at the clinic entrance to keep as many as 80 anti-abortionists on the other side of Wellington Parade. Now, the misogynist foetus worshippers are standing in their larger numbers at the clinic entrance every Saturday morning. The organised far right has ramped up their fight. Pro-choicers have to ramp up ours!

On October 13, the fourth anniversary of Victoria’s historic legalisation, pro-choicers turned out in our largest numbers to defend abortion rights. We drowned out the anti-abortionists’ hugely decreased numbers. Rallying each October to mark our legal victory is crucial. Defending the Fertility Control Clinic to make that legal victory real for women exercising their right and for clinic staff working there is urgent!

118 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne
(between Powlett & Simpson Sts)

Like and follow CWRR’s Facebook & Twitter: CWRRMelbourne
Stay in touch for other actions!

Make your Stand for Choice!

Join Campaign for Women’s Reproductive Rights (CWRR) for a Counter Protest against an ongoing anti-abortion protest at Parliament House.

13th September 2012 between 7:30am-9:30am
Macarthur Street, East Melbourne

Helpers of God’s Precious Infants have staged a protest at Victoria’s Parliament House on each Parliamentary sitting day – except one.  As planned on 14th August 2012 we turned up but they were absent.

So we’ll do it all again.  Join us on Macarthur Street, East Melbourne between 7:30am-9:30am.  Hold our “HONK IF UR PRO-CHOICE” signs – your own sign – or simply make your stand for choice.

With our presence and with each honk of a car horn, we will remind MPs that the vast majority of Victorians* believe in a woman’s right to choose.

“Separation of Church and State – Oh My God that would be great!”

Make your Stand for Choice

14th August 2012 between 7:30am-9:30am
Macarthur Street, East Melbourne

Campaign for Women’s Reproductive Rights (CWRR) is issuing a call out to mobilise a Counter Protest against an ongoing anti-abortion protest at Parliament House.

The campaign for access to safe and legal abortion continues as the rightwing minority push to overturn Victoria’s landmark 2008 Abortion reforms and recriminalise abortion.

Helpers of God’s Precious Infants are staging a protest at Victoria’s Parliament House on each Parliamentary sitting day from 7:30 am til 9:30 am. At the entrance to the MP’s car park they display a banner marked with crosses. Each cross supposedly representing an abortion that has occurred in Victoria in 2012. They claim that by the end of the year, the banner will extend the length of the street. By mid-April it extended this far:

On 14th August 2012 – the first sitting day of Parliament back from the Winter Recess – we would love to have volunteers standing on the opposite side of Macarthur Street, East Melbourne.  Hold our “HONK IF UR PRO-CHOICE” signs – your own sign – or simply make your stand for choice.

With our presence and with each honk of a car horn, we will remind MPs that the vast majority of Victorians* believe in a woman’s right to choose.  For the hundreds of Victorians passing by, we will give them the opportunity to show their support for women’s right and show them that a strong abortion rights movement is needed, which they can be a part of.

* Victorian Law Reform Commission 2008: Law of Abortion: Final Report Chapter 4

If you’re interested in joining us on 14th August 2012 between 7:30am-9:30am contact CWRR:
  or Email: cwrr.justice@hotmail.com

“Separation of Church and State – Oh My God that would be great!”