Nationwide Protest a Huge Success

Saturday, August 22, 2015, is a day the pro-life community will never forget. Tens of thousands of advocates for life rallied across the country in unified protest of the inhumane and illegal practices of the Planned Parenthood Federation.

The release of the eight undercover videos from the Center of Medical Progress, exposing the ruthless harvesting of fetal organs from aborted babies, compounds the numerous other violations committed by the self-proclaimed “health care” provider. Following the release of these videos, state and local groups, along with thousands of dedicated individuals, immediately responded to a call-to-action from ProtestPP to rally in opposition of federal funding for the abortion giant.

Filled with love for life and support of proper care for women and the unborn, pro-lifers gathered at Planned Parenthood clinics within 49 U.S. states and 6 foreign countries, from 9am to 11am Saturday morning. Their message of love gave a voice to the voiceless, and this resounded worldwide.

According to recent statistics released from ProtestPP, 280 out of 353 events were reported, giving a total participation estimate of 68,764.

“The protest was an outstanding success, with pro-lifers coming out in droves to expose Planned Parenthood’s horrific practice of harvesting and selling aborted baby body parts,” said Mr. Eric Scheidler. “For the first time, defunding Planned Parenthood is beginning to look like an achievable goal.”

In Illinois itself, protests took place at 9 separate locations. The turn-out and enthusiasm at each location was remarkable, and we are happy to say we are Illinois proud! Our Executive Director, Emily Zender, joined the crowd of champions for life outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora, Illinois. Standing amidst the sea of singing and chanting pro-lifers, Emily said, “We are so #IL Proud right now. The Aurora location in Illinois had 1,600 people protest Planned Parenthood today.”

Tweets and posts about the nationwide event soon became the top trending items of the day. #ProtestPP became the number one trending hashtag on twitter with 52k tweets, while #WhyWeProtest, #ppsellsbabyparts, and #CallHimEmmett also were popular. At the same time, pictures flooded the internet. You can visit the following link to view coverage of the protest from Fox News and WGNTV.

Here is a collection of photographs and approximate number counts from our friends within Illinois. As we receive more counts and photos from each location, we will continuously update this collection. You’re welcome to send us your photos on our Facebook page. See if your location was featured below. Fantastic work Illinois!

Aurora: 1,600