Heated exchanges broke out between anti-abortion and pro-abortion rights protesters outside of the “Yes on Prop 1” rally this Sunday afternoon at Long Beach City College.
The rally hosted several guest speakers such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and many other political figures. Each encouraged voters to vote yes on Proposition 1, which would prevent the federal government from interfering with a person’s right to an abortion in the state of California.
As rally members began to form a line outside of the college’s gymnasium waiting for the event to start, anti-abortion protesters voiced their opposition outside of the barricades surrounding the event, and this evolved into several verbal disputes with attendees.
“Baby killers” and “murderers” were among the many names the anti-abortion protesters were directing at rally attendees through their megaphone. Most attendees did not approach the counter-protesters. However, a few did engage in heated debates about reproductive rights.
When asked what his hopes for reproductive rights were moving forward in America, anti-abortionist Nick Taurus said, “I would like to see abortion be outlawed entirely for this country…we’re just allowing children to get murdered at an unprecedented rate before they even have a chance to experience life.”
Shortly after the rally officially began, protesters migrated to the corner of Clark Ave. and Carson St. while the campaign continued inside the LBCC gymnasium.
Anti-abortion and pro-abortion rights protesters stood across the street from each other surrounded by Long Beach police officers while holding signs and chanting their viewpoints to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
“I’m here on a Sunday morning worried about my sisters and the younger folks,” said pro-abortion rights activist and independent film maker, Pamela Torrance.
Torrance quit her job to maker a pro-abortion rights film titled, “WE’RE NOT GOING BACK!” this summer after learning that the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade. Torrance explained why she believed abortion was a crucial right to her as well as women all over America as she shared stories of women she’s spoke with who have had abortions as well as her own.
“My abortion that I had that I’m freely talking about now was when I was in high school. It was a pivot point for me, and it would have completely changed my life had I not been able to do that,” Torrance said.
As things became more heated, direct insults were exchanged between protesting parties as both groups began to taunt each other and made their way to the middle of the street to yell in each other’s faces, while police officers attempted to separate them and diffuse the situation.
Matters escalated once pro-abortion rights protester Keyanna Celina was arrested for alleged battery against an anti-abortion protestor that had been screaming in Celina’s face, which resulted in her grabbing a sign out of the opposing parties hands and stomping on it repeatedly.
Long Beach Police confirmed the detainee has since been released from their custody.
After that, LBPD suited up in riot gear and formed a barricade around the pro-abortion rights protestors causing nearly half of the protesters to disperse.