Statement Addressing The Allegations Towards RU4AR On account of the Bay Area Youth who’ve worked with RU4AR since April 2022.
Motivation/Goals?
We work to get as many people on the streets with us as possible. The women & everyone who helped fight in Argentina won their right to abortion & other essential healthcare through protests with masses of people. Simply voting blue & claiming to be pro-choice isn’t enough. SCOTUS has already stated that they’ve got queer marriage and the right to contraceptives on the chopping block next.
Graphic/Violent?
The use of imagery including bloody pants, coat hangers, etc. is based on the women who were severely injured or died from a lack of safe & legal abortion. This is the reality of what will occur. The argument that now there are alternatives such as abortion pills or that people can just travel is invalid. Not everyone has the money or situation to fly to another state for an abortion or to purchase an abortion-inducing pill. It is extremely important to both highlight & recognize
the fact that this issue affects black, Latinx, low-income, and other further oppressed people disproportionately
Funding/Donations?
When you donate to the Bay Area Rise Up4Abortion Rights Chapter, the money goes towards the printing & creating of our signs, stickers, banners, and other items used in protest. Many of our banners are made by us (the youth) during our downtime, and sometimes even just hours before protests. In order to create these, we have to invest in fabric, paint, stencils, etc. To make ourselves heard, we need megaphones & batteries for them.
Closing
All in all, we need to stand united in this fight. Now is not the time to start fighting within this “movement”. We might not all have the same ideologies, but we’re all fighting for the rights of women & all people who can give birth.