In the early afternoon of Nov. 23, organizers with Party for Socialism and Liberation rallied for the closure of the phony abortion clinic EMC Pregnancy Center in the Bronx.
The protesters spoke out, chanted, and quickly ran out of literature to hand out with the facts on phony clinics and information on local Planned Parenthood clinics. Dozens stopped to listen and speak with the protesters about reproductive justice and the need for affordable public healthcare. Many didn’t realize EMC was a fake clinic, as its misleading advertising suggests it provides medical care.
“EMC is purposefully located here on the busy East 149th St in the heart of the South Bronx, one of the poorest Congressional districts in this country. These fake clinics target communities like this because they know our people need healthcare,” said Monica Cruz, an organizer with PSL Bronx’s group. “But we are systematically robbed of access to these essential services as our government uses our tax dollars to fund centers like EMC that lie to us instead of funding the health resources our communities actually need and deserve!”
Harlem resident and organizer Karla Reyes exclaimed, “We are here to defend women who choose to have an abortion in this city. We are here defending a woman’s right to the truth, including the rights of LGBTQ people to the same truths and legit healthcare.”
EMC is one of the estimated 4,000 “crisis pregnancy centers” nationwide. Also known as pregnancy counseling centers, many don’t have licensed medical staff, do not offer medical services and spread false information on abortion.
In a study from Planned Parenthood, 87 percent of these fake clinics claim abortion leads to breast cancer and future infertility even though it has been shown that are no such connections in medical studies backed by the Mayo Clinic and American Cancer Society.
CPCs are faith-based organizations that oppose abortion with public religious missions. Taxpayer money goes to these fake clinics in blatant opposition to the separation of church and state.
CPCs target low income communities, particularly Black, Brown and immigrants communities, which are less likely to have sufficient access to healthcare, and use tax dollars to do so. They strategically advertise in these communities, with help from the estimated $60 million they receive in federal funding for abstinence and marriage-promotion programs nationally.
