31 arrests: Protest against anti-abortion "Ultrasound Bill" brings riot police to Capitol
Infinite solidarity with these protesters!
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A grassroots protest of a controversial women’s health care bill passed by the state Senate this week brought hundreds to Richmond to the state Capitol grounds March 3, and ended with the arrest of 31 people on the Capitol steps.
The demonstration was in response to a bill that originally required a transvaginal ultrasound for women seeking abortions– and which quickly became a national controversy and target of derision among satirists including Saturday Night Live.
After Governor Bob McDonnell signaled his discomfort, House Bill 462 was modified to require a less-invasive abdominal ultrasound and passed the Senate this week and awaits McDonnell’s signature.
Supporters say the measure helps women make a more informed decision; opponents say the ultrasounds are medically ineffective, a thinly-veiled attempt to thwart a woman from obtaining an abortion.
Organizers from a group called Speak Loudly with Silence, which led an estimated 1,200 women in silent protest on the Capitol grounds nearly two weeks earlier, estimated the crowd of Saturday’s attendees at 900.
