Jailed Rescuer Calls for Civil Disobedience

Jailed Rescuer Calls for Civil Disobedience

A pro-life activist in jail for picketing an abortuary is calling for mass civil disobedience in the fight to save unborn babies.

Will Goodman fell foul of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances in 2020, but is making use of his time in prison to think long and hard about winning tactics for the future, writing:

'Here in jail I was able to read a special supplement in the Washington Post about the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington led by Rev. King. In the opening of his famous “I have a dream” speech on August 28, 1963, he greeted marchers from around the country, recognizing especially those who had just been released from jails in Mississippi.

'He had no fear. The crowd cheered when he said these words. They did not recoil in shame, fear, or embarrassment.

'Neither did the students. SNCC, the national Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was on the ground in D.C. for the historic 1963 rally and march assisting in leadership positions. In the early 1960s, SNCC organized sit-ins across the south, often in dangerous locations. Historians estimate that 70,000 college students participated in these “illegal” sit-ins, with between 3,000 to 4,000 students being arrested.

'What amazing courage! These were mostly black students, but many whites also participated and risked arrest too. Thousands of STUDENTS. And it was NORMAL! A campaign of nonviolence confronted the evil of racism to its face via direct action. Unjust arrests were an ORDINARY outcome of confronting injustice. The people then knew it. Sadly, our people do NOT. This needs to be remedied. I think our movement, especially college students, needs a thorough educational formation in the philosophical, strategic, and practicalities of nonviolence. Imagine 70,000 students rescuing in the U.S.!'

 



 

 

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