Protesters Demonstrate Outside Pasadena Planned Parenthood Saturday

About 175 demonstrators protested against the practices and federal funding of Planned Parenthood for two hours on Saturday morning drawing angry retorts as well as honks of support from drivers on North Lake Avenue near the local headquarters.

“We are protesting the actions of Planned Parenthood and the fact that Planned Parenthood receives over half a billion dollars from the Federal Government annually. It is our view that taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund an organization that behaves in what many believe is a morally reprehensible and illegal manner,” organizer Janine Cosgrove said.

The event was held in in conjunction with approximately 300 other protests taking place across the United States.

Sheri Bonner, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley, released a statement during the protest.

“Today’s demonstrations stem from a concerted and politically motivated campaign designed to shut the doors of Planned Parenthood and limit women’s access to reproductive health. Their mission is to ban abortion completely,” Bonner said. “Unfortunately the protestors’ aim is to intimidate the many patients who seek basic preventive health care services from Planned Parenthood – services like life-saving cancer screenings, family planning and birth control, STD testing and treatment. We will not let them deter us.”

Four Pasadena police officers were at the scene. The demonstration was entirely peaceful, punctuated with prayer recitals and hymn-singing.

Although the clinic remained open, there were no confrontations. One passerby who supports Planned Parenthood did climb the front stairs and yell support for the organization before making a $30 donation to Planned Parenthood officials who were standing on the building’s front porch.

Her actions were met by prayers and stoic silence from the protestors.

The demonstrators have organized on social media under the hashtag #ppsellsbabyparts in reference to a series of videos released by  the Center For Medical Progress,  an organization which says it is specifically set up in order to go undercover and investigate what happens inside Planned Parenthood clinics.

The videos reportedly show that Planned Parenthood is selling dismembered body parts and vital organs of aborted fetuses from their clinics.

Many of the protesters held signs and banners referencing the videos.