The Tactics of Operation Rescue (1989)

Elizabeth Brackett:Several blocks away, a major clinic was also getting ready. The Margaret Sanger Clinic is the largest plan parenthood clinic in New York City. Women made 16,000 visits to the clinic last year. Four thousand abortions were performed. Protest, both violent and nonviolent, is not new here. In 1986, the clinic was bombed. In December, Operation Rescue shut down the clinic for five hours. Today, clinic director Barbara Clayton was preparing her staff in case they were the target again. Barbara Clayton: We should have very good police cooperation in terms of numbers of policemen that will be here beginning or as early so we can get the clinic open as soon as possible. (singing) Elizabeth Brackett:By evening, over 1,000 Operation Rescue volunteers had filled the pews at St. Cyril's Catholic Church. They had come ready to be motivated for their task the next morning. (unknown speaker) Reason we're here tonight is because babies are being murdered.

We believe to a man and a woman here on the worth of every individual human being, every person. Elizabeth Brackett: But it was up to the evangelical lay preacher to provide the final moments of inspiration as he prepared his followers to face arrests the next morning. Terry Randall: We tomorrow are going to rescue children with over 1,000 people. And when they ask us when they get us downtown, what is your name? We will tell them, our name. Our name is Baby Doe and our address is the Supreme Court building. You want to tell you something? Please hear this. If there's any way that you can spend even the night in jail, don't pass it up because we're going to be together, they're going to hold us in some huge place somewhere, and we'll have some of the best prayer meetings and the best revival we've ever had in our lives. Hallelujah. (applause) Hallelujah. (applause) Elizabeth Brackett: At 6 o'clock the next morning, Operation Rescue was on the street. Their destination was still a secret to all but the leaders as the tightly disciplined group

moved out toward the city subway. (subway noise, unknown speaker) Let's get on the train. Operation Rescue, board the train. Elizabeth Brackett: As Operation Rescue wound through the city, early morning rioters at the NOW office were still trying to figure out where they were going. NOW speaker: They're heading east. Okay. So we thought they could be going to crash that's around here, too. They said heading east, she thought planned parenthood. (not understandable) Who is it? Where's Kelly? She's with Ellen. Elizabeth Brackett: Out of the subway and onto the street in the still dark morning, Terry and his group were spotted. (unknown speaker) You're going to give out hangers to women when they can't get legal safe abortions.

You're going to hand out knitting needles when they can't get legal safe abortions or maybe you'll hand out little containers of bleach or little containers of rye. (unknown speaker) Respect the purpose of Sergeant Dolan, sir, they're going to plan parenthood. As planned, a 21, first second avenue, I'm going to need some help over there real quick, I think. Group to my right go to the side door, group to my left, front door, ok? Side door, front door. Elizabeth Brackett: Terry's troops followed the orders of their mostly male leaders. Both doors of the Margaret Sanger clinic were quickly blocked. Police estimated the number of protesters at close to 1,000. (crowd yelling) Clinic director Barbara Clayton was angry but not surprised by the chaotic scene that greeted her when she arrived for work. (background noise) Are you the officer in charge.... Barbara Clayton: It's every woman's right in this country, it's not only my right, it's any other woman on the street to be able to have access for safe medical care and they are not allowing it and

that we won't stand for. (loudspeaker) Anyone who....... at this time, subject to arrest and be placed under (background noise) (background crowd noise) (loudspeaker) Move back, move back. Back and left. Don't give any ground in the front. Do not cooperate in any manner shape or form. This is not in order to be punitive against the police, it's just by time for the babies. Every minute that it takes every one of us to be arrested, one more.......Elizabeth Brackett: Waiting through all this was clinic patient Lynn Bose. At age 34, she was separated from her husband in poor health and in bad financial shape. Already the mother of a three year old, she decided she could not handle another child now. Lynn Bose: When I was 30, I was supposed to have an abortion which is very traumatic to begin with, to have to go through the procedure, it's very upsetting.

But it's a decision you have to make, you have to do it. I just want to do it and get it over with. I've been here for an hour in the freezing cold. I'm nauseous, I have morning sickness. I can't eat or drink because I'm supposed to have the procedure. And they're making every, I mean this demonstration is just making my predicament a thousand times worse. I could have gone in there, had it over with gone home and recuperated. And instead, I'll be here all day, getting hypoglycemic, I can't eat. And it's my right to make this choice. (crowd chanting) One, two, three, four, open up the clinic door. Elizabeth Brackett: NOW, and other pro-choice demonstrators said they had purposefully kept their number small to avoid trouble. But they were not pleased with the slow pace of the arrests. As arrests continued, Operation Rescue brought in fresh troops on their hands and knees. (unknown speaker) Stop right there, we'll make it easy on everybody. Hey, I'm telling you it's all right now. That's it.

Well, you just stop right there. That's it. Stop, crawling. Elizabeth Brackett: Two hours after the protest started, police began opening a small path to the clinic door. Police told the deputy director of Planned Parenthood to get staff and patients ready for a try for the door. (woman speaking) Stay quiet, stay calm, stay in double-file. Do not look at the protesters who are maybe left. Do not touch them. Do not talk to them. Do not return anything. Look straight ahead and remember who you are and be proud. (crowd speaker) Hey, they lied to you. Don't let them kill your baby. That's not accepted. It's not a flaw, but it's a living human being. (crowd noise) Elizabeth Brackett: Once inside, emotions range from relief to anger. (unknown speaker) So you're in, it's 10 minutes after 10. What are your thoughts? Well, I have predicted 9:30, so not too bad. We have patients here.

I'm very happy that we are able to access the building and that we can now deliver safe medical care to these women. Elizabeth Brackett: For Bose, walking through the demonstrators was not as hard as she had feared. Lynn Bose: I just ignored them. It was a part of me that's pretty disgusted with that kind of attitude. They have the right to their own beliefs, but I don't like anybody telling me and deciding for me what I'm going to do. I mean, they've caused me physical, you know, a good three, four hours of physical pain, emotional pain. And to me, that doesn't seem, you know, pro life. Elizabeth Brackett: Three hours after patients had gotten into the clinic, those who had not been arrested from Operation Rescue were still on the street.