'We want to stop it now': Hundreds protest abortion clinic coming to Macon
“Stop Abortion Now.”
These words were printed on the front and back of a frayed sign held together by tape. It’s owner, Movene Futch, got the sign at a Washington, D.C., rally in 1990. Friday, she carried the sign as she marched through downtown Macon in a rally against a planned low-cost women’s health center that would offer abortions here.
“Unfortunately, (the sign’s slogan) hasn’t been obeyed by our nation, but we continue to work on that. We still want to see that abortion is stopped. We want to stop it now. We certainly want to stop it in Macon, Georgia,” Futch said.
The Forsyth resident was among several hundred people who participated in the protest against the Summit Medical Centers office planned to open this fall.
The march was hosted by the Saint Maximilian Kolbe Center for Life, which is an anti-abortion pregnancy resource center.
“Our goal is to let (our city leadership) know that we do not want abortion in our community,” said Ann Beall, director of the Kolbe Center.
The Summit Center PC will offer women first trimester-only abortion care along with other gynecological needs.
Tanya Little, executive director of the Summit Center's Georgia and Michigan offices, could not be reached for comment Friday. However, she talked to The Telegraph about the center and planned protests in May.
"We do understand that abortion brings up strong emotions for people, but we feel strongly that however anybody feels about abortion, no one should be shamed when they are trying to navigate health care in their community,” she said at the time.
Representatives from The Kolbe Center said they plan to continue protesting at the steps of the clinic if it opens.
“We will mobilize, and we will be training people to be sidewalk counselors,” said Richard Rowe, chair of the Kolbe Center Board. He said volunteers from The Kolbe Center plan to stand outside the clinic everyday to convince women of the alternatives to abortion.
Bibb County sheriff’s deputies escorted the protesters from Cherry Street to the proposed clinic site on Walnut Street. The protest remained peaceful.
Attendees of the event were encouraged to fill out a postcard that would be mailed to Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert’s office requesting the Planning & Zoning Commission to “hear arguments to reverse the decision to prevent Summit Center, PC to open.”
It was unclear whether it was possible for the commission to take up the matter again. A message left at the commission office Friday afternoon was not immediately returned.
This story was originally published June 15, 2018 at 5:58 PM with the headline "'We want to stop it now': Hundreds protest abortion clinic coming to Macon."