Posts Tagged ‘abortion’
Monday, January 25th, 2010
The anti-abortion mobile billboard trucks seen below, in town for Saturday’s West Coast Walk for Life, could be banned from the Streets of San Francisco, IMO. Here’s how to do it:
Step One: Amend San Francisco Police Code section 680 to make it look more like the City of West Hollywood’s Municipal Code section 11.441. Basically, that would mean, instead of banning “commercial advertising” on vehicles, we’d be banning all advertising, banning all mobile billboards.
Step Two: Start writing tickets.
What’s that you say, what about the First Amendment ‘n stuff? Well, let’s read up on a recent case from the California Court of Appeal called Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, et al. v. City of West Hollywood (B201721). You see, this animal-loving guy from S.H.A.R.K. got busted for driving his animal-rights mobile billboard advertising truck around town. He sued West Hollywood after he got cited but he lost. Why?
Here Come Da Judges (the bulk of them, anyway):
“The city concedes that SHARK was engaged in noncommercial speech but maintains its ordinance applies to both commercial and noncommercial speech. SHARK, however, argues that the term “advertising” applies only to commercial speech. We agree with the city that the ordinance applies to both commercial and noncommercial speech.
“The term “advertise” is not limited to calling the public’s attention to a product or a business. The definition of “advertise” is more general: “to make something known to[;] . . . to make publicly and generally known[;] . . . to announce publicly esp[ecially] by a printed notice or a broadcast…”
So it looks like West Hollywood has a green light to stop both commercial and non-commercial advertising trucks from roaming its streets. What’s preventing San Francisco from doing the same thing?
Click to expand. On the Embarcadero:
And Market Street:
Just asking.
(Brace yourselves, more these trucks like these are on their way. Get used to it…)
How West Hollywood does it, after the jump
(more…)
Tags: 2010, 6th, 8m78856, abortion, advertising, annual, anti, ban, california, choice, crowd, illegal, law, legal, license, los angeles, march, march for life, market, mobile billboards, parade, plate, prop, rain, San Francisco, SFPD, shark, size, street, thousands, trucks, walk for life, west coast, west hollywood
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Saturday, January 23rd, 2010
These mobile billboard trucks, in town for today’s West Coast Walk for Life, don’t appear to constitute “commercial advertising” so the people responsible for them don’t appear to be violating San Francisco law.
Click to expand. On the Embarcadero:
And Market Street:
Anyway, this is what’s roaming the streets today…
Tags: 2010, 6th, 8m78856, abortion, advertising, annual, anti, california, choice, crowd, illegal, law, legal, license, march, march for life, market, mobile billboards, parade, plate, prop, rain, San Francisco, SFPD, size, street, thousands, trucks, walk for life, west coast
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Saturday, January 23rd, 2010
Let’s see here, that was a big march the anti-abortion people put on today, huh? The Chronicle (or what I’m actually looking at - SFGate, San Francisco’s online newspaper) was on the scene today and reports that “several thousand“ were at the West Coast March for Life on the Embarcadero.
On the other hand, the organizers themselves have the number at “at least 35,000.”*
My count was 22,000+ so 35k sounds, how shall we say, optimistic, unless they’re counting people who didn’t march and were hiding somewhere. PipeLineNews (“the RIGHT news… RIGHT now”) comes in with a guess of “23,000 – 25,000,” which I’m thinking is their good-faith effort to be objective.
But, as always, You Make The Call. If you think this video shows the crowd passing any given point at more than one person per second, then you’ll think an estimate of several thousand is too low. So much for crowd estimates….
UPDATE: The Chronicle’s Joe Garafoli discusses yet another estimate of precisely 22,809 marchers. And the SFPD weighs with more than 10,000 all told. Here’s an IndyBay report that indicated the crowds were smaller this year (they weren’t) and here’s another with five glaring errors in the first three sentences. Oh well. Lastly, here comes the Catholic News Agency with an estimate of 25,000, which sounds perfectly cromulent to me.
Today’s vanguard:
Click to expand
Read all about it, after the jump
*And when you tell lies/ An angel dies. Remember that for next year, Dolores.
(more…)
Tags: 2010, 6th, abortion, annual, anti, choice, crowd, march, march for life, parade, prop, rain, SFPD, size, thousands, walk for life, west coast
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Saturday, January 23rd, 2010
Let me tell you about how things were back in the day, back in aught-five when the pro-life / “anti-choice” West Coast Walk for Life had smaller numbers and the competing pro-choice / “anti-life” side had more.
Those were the days, complete with heckling and back-and-forth.
Remember?
From 2005, click to expand
Well, things have changed. After giving it some thought, a lot of the organizations and political representatives who oppose the March for Life have decided to ignore the entire affair. Sure, there were some folks in the counter-march that went up the Herb Cain Way sidewalk, but only about 130 or so. Throw in a marching band that was going the other way (marching to its own drummer hither and yon) and I’d say about 200 locals showed to oppose today’s WCMFL. Don’t know for sure though. People were on hand to listen to BACORR’s Gemma Mirkinson earlier in the morning at 10:00 AM anyway.
But what about the other side, the actual marchers themselves? They went up the Embarcadero for a full 51 minutes – it was a river of people.
How many marchers this year? Tens of thousands anyway. I’m thinking 22,000 minimum this year, which is about ten percent more than last year – that jibes with the fact that everybody passed by the intersection of Broadway and Embarcadero in 51 minutes, which is about ten percent more time than last year.
How fast do you think this river of humanity was going on average? If it went 10/second then you mulitply by 3060 seconds to get and crowd estimate of over 30K, which I think is a stretch. It was going anywhere from zero to 20+ people per second:
And here are the local countermarchers:
And here is the joyful reed and brass marching band going the other way:
Noe we’re back to the March. I thought this was advertising for a new kind of eHarmony thing but now I don’t think so. CFC = Couples for Christ, so this is just their unmarried contingent.
Hey kid, what’s an abortion?
These bused-in marchers would show up regardless of the weather, so a cloudburst at the start of the parade didn’t seem to affect them a bit. Anyway, the weather soon cleared and most of the march was under blue skies and fluffy white clouds.
Click to see the cloudburst raindrops – it was like being in the shower with your clothes on for a little bit.
And there’s your March for Life West Coast for 2010.
Tags: abortion, annual, anti, baby, bacorr, choice, Embarcadero, fetus, indybay, justin herman, life, march, muisic concourse, plaza, protest, San Francisco, walk for life, west coast
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Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
A crowd of a hundred-something showed up on the steps of City Hall yesterday to protest against the Stupak Pitts proposal (aka the Stupak–Ellsworth–Pitts–Kaptur–Dahlkemper–Lipinski–Smith Amendment, srsly) regarding health plans covering abortions.
Moms and daughters were there…
…plus San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Supervisor Bevan Dufty
And here’s a shot from the ACLU of Northern California of UCSF med students for choice:
Are we heading for a filibuster?
All the deets here.
Tags: abortion, Amendment, anti, bevan dufty, bill, choice, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, City Hall, civic center, health care, life, pitts, pro, Reform, rights, San Francisco, stupak, Supervisor
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
Well, as expected, the March for Life West Coast went off yesterday with a whole bunch of people involved. That’s tens of thousands minimum, but the SFPD saw fit to block access to a vantage point on a pedestrian bridge this year. So, that’s as good an estimate as you’re going to get here – tens of thousands.
You can see what it looked like with a lot of photos here but also and here and here and here, or even here, from The Deacon 4 Life or from the IndyBay.org here and here. This event was international news, but it was ignored by most of the denizens of San Francisco. Some merchants welcomed the visitors with open arms, anyway.
This was the rally at 11:00 AM near Justin Herman Plaza. Click to expand:
Interestingly, the March for Life rally employed help from Michael S. Hensley PARTY Rental & Sales Co. (650) 583-0337. Boy oh boy[cott], that’s brave.
Anyway, this was the bulk of the crowd of pro-choice counter protesters at the start of the noontime march. There were hundreds on the pro-choice side, or several hundreds if you prefer.
From the Ferry Building area all the way up Embarcadero on their way to Fishermans Wharf and beyond.
A closer look at the vanguard reveals that fashion (Channel funglasses, hoop earrings, French manicures and high heeled suede boots) was the order of the day. These are the people the organizers handpicked to represent the face of yesterday’s parade.
For a while there, both sides were in formation heading up Herb Caen Way and the Embarc.
The SFPD was out in force, as per usual. Here, the bicycle corps keeps ‘em separated
A home-made sign, one of many. A few referenced Barack Obama.
The sole svástika of the day.
On the other side, some people just stood on the sidewalk and stared at the oncoming parade.
Instead of “I’m with Stupid,” we have “I’m With Fascists”
And on no side in particular, Frank Chu (the “Galaxy Guy” per one SFPD officer).
A Mount Rushmore of sanctimonious iPodded teens…
…walking past this fellow handing out free condoms. That pretty much sums things up.
Guess what? Even more photos after the jump
(more…)
Tags: 2009, 24th, 5th, abortion, annual, anti, baby, bacorr, barcadero, choice, church, Darren, doe, e, Embarcadero, fetus, fishermans wharf, indybay, january, justin herman, life, march, march for life, march for life west coast, music concourse, Norma McCorvey, plaza, police department, protest, roe, San Francisco, SFPD, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, wade, walk for life, west coast
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Saturday, January 24th, 2009
Of course any group of protesters naturally wants to believe they are great in number. So when turnout is hard to determine, people tend to get a little optimistic. Now let’s take a look at what the San Francisco Chronicle’s C. W. Nevius has to say about last year’s March for Life West Coast:
“They claim huge numbers for this walk – their estimate last year was 25,000 walkers, although The Chronicle story had the total at 10,000.”
Actually, The Chronicle story had the total for 2008 at “at least 10,000.” To wit:
“At least 10,000 abortion opponents were bused into the city from all over California, and from outside the state, for a morning rally in Justin Herman Plaza.”
Now, it’s not exactly clear what the reporters actually think in this case – it could be they just punted the issue and focussed on other matters. So it’s fairly weak support for an allegation of excessive International A.N.S.W.E.R-style overcounting.
This was the vanguard today – it took 40-something minutes for them to all pass through. Click to expand
More photos here.
The people at March for Life West Coast appear to be generally more realistic than the average protest group, anyway. For 2009, they’re claiming more than 30,000, and one booster is saying precisely 32,200.
This number isn’t impossible, but that’s not the point. The point is that C.W. Nevius could have made his point about ignoring this large event without being devius.
Carry on.
Tags: 2009, 5th, abortion, annual, anti, c. w., C.W., C.W. Nevius, choice, chronicle, crowd, devious, devius, Embarcadero, estimate, fifth, life, march, march for life, Nevius, pro, protest, San Francisco, sfgate, size, thousands, west coast
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Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
It’s coming this rainy Saturday, January 24, 2009 starting at 11:00 AM in Justin Herman Plaza near the Ferry Building – the 5th Annual Walk for Life West Coast. Will you be among the tens of thousands expected? (Dress for rain.) It will look a little something like this.
[UPDATE: Rain threatened by didn't really show up at the beginning. Tens of thousands of people were on hand for 2009, a bunch of photos here.]
These Life Walkers are now using the Twitter to keep their minions informed, thusly:
“Reality check – in the last five minutes more than 500 babies were killed world wide. about 4 hours ago from web”
So that’ll be a new wrinkle this year. Otherwise, it should be the same old thing, with speeches in Mandarin, Cantonese and Spanish, chartered buses from all over the place, your Feminists For Life, San Francisco Archdiocese Auxiliary Bishop William Justice, counterprotesters, etc.
Counterdemonstrators at the first Walk for Life West Coast, back in 2005, click to expand:
But probably there won’t be all that many counterdemonstrators, if last year’s event is any guide. Some groups in San Francisco appear to ignore this annual event, saving their energy for other battles.
So there you have it. More info here, and after the jump:
5th Annual Walk for Life West Coast, Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 11 a.m. – Justin Herman Plaza at Market Street and the Ferry Building, San Francisco
More than 25,000 pro-life women, men and children are expected to rally in San Francisco at the foot of Market Street on Saturday, January 24th, and then walk nearly 2 miles across the city, through Fisherman’s Wharf ending at Marina Green in sight of the Golden Gate Bridge.
This is the fifth annual Walk for Life West Coast, organized by a group of San Francisco residents and attracting participants from throughout California and the rest of the West. The Walk for Life West Coast’s motto is “Abortion Hurts Women,” and the speakers will address the cost of abortion for women and ways to help women and protect life from conception to natural death.
Schedule of events:
Rally with speakers at Justin Herman Plaza: 11:00 am
Walk begins: 12 noon
Speakers include:
– Frank Lee, coordinator of Asian Americans Against Abortion
– Diana Nagy, singer crisis pregnancy at 15 ended in adoption
– Mother Agnes Mary, Sisters of Life
– Karen Shablin, Feminists for Life, places her abortion within the context of feminism
– Rev. Clenard Childress Jr., founder of BlackGenocide.org, addresses
the civil rights implications of abortion
After the Walk at Marina Green: 2 – 4 p.m.
– Info Faire and a Silent No More
(http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/) gathering for women and men to
share stories of abortion featuring Georgette Forney from Silent No
More and Fr. Frank Pavone from Priests for Life
(http://www.priestsforlife.org/)
Sat Jan 17 2009 (Updated 01/18/09) Anti-Woman, Anti-Gay “Walk for Life” to Descend on San Francisco
On January 24th, an anti-women’s rights and anti-gay march will take place in San Francisco. The Bay Area Coalition for Reproduction Rights (BACORR) is calling on human rights supporters to protest the so-called “Walk for Life” led by religious conservatives.In recent years the Catholic Church has helped push through two discriminatory acts, the “Conscience Rule” and Proposition 8. The “Conscience Rule” allows health care providers to refuse to fill a birth control prescription for “moral” reasons. BACORR co-chair Gemma Mirkinson responded to the institution of the Conscience Rule asking, “What’s next: refusing service to people with AIDS, or immigrants or transgender folks? This is nothing but bigotry sanctioned by the highest office of the land and applauded by the people who will trek through our city January 24.”
BAACORE and its allies have played a major rolein the past in combating anti-abortion forces and fighting for human rights. This year the group has also called attention to the ICE raids against immigrant communities. Anita O’Shea, BAACORE spokesperson writes “The ‘Walk for Life’ is part of a multi-pronged rightwing movement that includes bigots in suits as well as armed, vigilante Minutemen, clinic bombers, and gay bashers…..We must stop the blame game against women, immigrants and queers before the ultra-right gains momentum.”
BAACORE is calling on all people who oppose this climate of hate to come out on January 24 to the “Unite to Fight the Right Wing” event. The event will begin with a rally at San Francisco’s Music Concourse (Embarcadero and Market Sts.) at 10:30am.
Tags: 5th, abortion, annual, anti, baby, bacorr, choice, Embarcadero, fetus, indybay, justin herman, life, march, muisic concourse, plaza, protest, San Francisco, walk for life, west coast
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Thursday, January 1st, 2009
So, how many crosses does one church need? The answer is about 20-something based upon this view of Saints Peter and Paul Church at six hundred three score and six Filbert Street, where they have flying cows, and where they have services in English, Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, both?) Italian and, of course, Latin.
Now old-school Latin can be tough so they have a handy cheat sheet, which might help you interpret the words of mop-topped U2 and 80’s sensation Mr. Mister.
The former film set for Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry back in 1971 and the place where Joe DiMaggio got married (but not to Marilyn Monroe) back in 1939. Click to expand:
And coming up on the sched for the new year is the 5th Annual Walk For Life West Coast on January 24, 2009.
Really? Really.
Did not know that.
Tags: 2009, 666, abortion, church, crosses, filbert, north beach, Paul, peter, rights, saints, San Francisco, spires, street, walk for life, washington square
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