{"id":10120,"date":"2017-02-11T21:28:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-11T21:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/2017\/02\/11\/protests-against-planned-parenthood-rouse-dueling-rallies-nationwide\/"},"modified":"2017-02-11T21:28:00","modified_gmt":"2017-02-11T21:28:00","slug":"protests-against-planned-parenthood-rouse-dueling-rallies-nationwide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/protests-against-planned-parenthood-rouse-dueling-rallies-nationwide\/","title":{"rendered":"Protests Against Planned Parenthood Rouse Dueling Rallies Nationwide"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Colin Dwyer<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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Planned Parenthood supporters and an opponent of the organization try to block each other’s signs during a protest and counterprotest Saturday in St. Louis. Jim Salter\/AP<\/strong> hide caption<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jim Salter\/AP<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Anti-abortion rights protesters gathered outside Planned Parenthood clinics across the country Saturday, in a series of rallies calling on politicians to end federal funding for the century-old organization. The activists planned to picket outside roughly 200 Planned Parenthood clinics \u2014 but at many of those locations, counterprotesters were there to meet them.<\/p>\n

The group #ProtestPP, which organized the rallies, says demonstrations have been planned in at least 45 states, according to ABC News<\/a>. From Detroit to Los Angeles, from St. Louis to St. Paul, The Associated Press reports that protesters have gathered with signs reading “Pray to End Abortion” and “Defend Life.”<\/p>\n

“Why should tax dollars be given to somewhere where they’re doing killings of babies,” anti-abortion demonstrator Marisol Pfaff asked St. Louis Public Radio’s Camille Philips. Pfaff and scores of other protesters gathered Saturday outside the only clinic in Missouri that provides abortions.<\/p>\n

Planned Parenthood \u2014 which provides a wide range of health care services for women, including abortion \u2014 receives more than $500 million a year from the federal government, about 75 percent of which comes from Medicaid.<\/p>\n

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