DENVER—Four abortion protesters who interrupted the Democratic convention women’s caucus were drowned out by chants of “Obama!” and removed from the room by officers.
A short while later, three more women were escorted from the room when they held up Hillary Clinton for president signs during a speech by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle.
The four abortion protesters walked briskly to the front of the room during the Democratic National Committee’s Women’s Caucus meeting on Thursday, saying as a group, “Abortion hurts women. We need to support women. It’s not a Republican or Democratic issue.”
They wore T-shirts reading “I Regret My Abortion” and “Abortion Hurts Women.”
They identified themselves as Laura Rohling, 43, of Parker, Colo., Kim Sanecki, 29, of Colorado Springs, Colo., Rene Ridge, 53, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Mary Colsch, 75, of Caledonia, Minn.
No one was arrested.
Afterward, the four women and two other activists used a bullhorn to talk about their opposition to abortion outside the Colorado Convention Center. They drew occasional hecklers, as anti-abortion activist Randall Terry listened.
“We are not pro-choice or pro-life. We are pro-women,” said Centennial resident Jane Brennan, who said she regrets her two abortions. One man walked by and shouted, “I’m pro-choice!” A couple of women walking by shouted obscenities.
Terry claims he and his followers have disrupted multiple caucuses during the convention this week. He said he believes it’s a more effective approach than the street demonstration for spreading a message. “The issue is reaching the public through doing something newsworthy,” he said.
Jeamour Matthews, 48, of Pittsburgh was one of three women escorted from the room for holding up a sign that said “Hillary for President—Smart Choice” during Michelle Obama’s speech.
“She didn’t even acknowledge us,” Matthews said. “We didn’t say a word, we were quiet and we got thrown out for holding a Hillary sign up.”
