Dayton Right to Life will take part in a National Day of Protest Against Planned Parenthood on Saturday. The effort is being lead by a coalition of national pro-life groups. The local organization will hold a rally outside the Planned Parenthood health center on N. Wilkinson St. downtown.
Abortion providers in Ohio are already feeling restrictions from new state mandates requiring patient transfer agreements with local hospitals. The planned protests are in response to the recent release of secretly recorded videos in which Planned Parenthood staff speak explicitly about organs from aborted fetuses.
Dayton Right to Life Executive Director Paul Coudron says their mission is to stop public funding of Planned Parenthood. The organization also wants the health center out of Montgomery County.
“It’s a $2 billion a year business and the Montgomery county human services levy--$60,000 the last two years has gone directly to Planned Parenthood,” he said.
Coudron says whatever services Planned Parenthood provides women, outside abortion, could be handled by “at least fifteen other existing health centers” in the county.
Danielle Craig with Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio says the money is used to offset costs for office visits for about two hundred uninsured patients a year. Craig also says the Saturday protests aren’t about funding.
“Women should be able to get health care without fear of violence harassment or intimidation,” she said. “These videos and this protest are just pieces of the latest political attack designed to shut down Planned Parenthood and eliminate basic healthcare services for this community.”
Protests are planned in 10 other Ohio cities on Saturday. The Dayton Women’s Rights Alliance is planning a Counter protest at the same time.
