Anti-abortion activists emboldened by the new administration of President Donald Trump are staging rallies around the country calling for the federal government to cut off payments to Planned Parenthood. But in some cities the demonstrations are being dwarfed by counter-protests.
Thousands of Planned Parenthood supporters turned out Saturday morning for a rally in St. Paul, Minnesota. In Detroit, about 300 people turned up outside a Planned Parenthood office, most of them supporting the organization.
Trump last month banned U.S. funding to international groups that perform abortions or even provide information about abortions. His newly confirmed health secretary, Tom Price, has supported cutting off federal money to Planned Parenthood.
Federal dollars don’t pay for abortions, but the organization is reimbursed by Medicaid for other services, including birth control and cancer screening.