Picketers prompt pledges

WATERVILLE — Voices for Choice announced this week the opening of its Pledge a Picket campaign in support of Dr. Russ DeJong and reproductive freedom for women.

Anti-choice picketers have targeted Waterville’s Seton Hospital, said spokesman Karen Heck, even though the hospital does not perform abortions.

They are protesting from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays, said Heck, when Dr. DeJong, who occasionally performs abortions elsewhere as part of his private practice, is at Seton providing low-income women with pre-natal care.

For every picketer protesting at Seton Hospital, said Heck, Voices for Choice will collect finanacial pledges to support SAFE Inc., an abortion loan fund for low-income women in Maine.

The idea of the pledge campaign grew out of the frustration of watching women and doctors harassed and abused by anti-choice demonstrations, she said.

Voices for Choice can be contacted at P.O. Box 2443, Waterville 04901.

“This is a win-win opportunity for people concerned about increased clinic violence and harassment in this country,” said Heck. “Each anti-choice picketer at Seton will be raising funds to support abortions for low income women.”

“The anti-choice demonstrations at Seton are an outrage,” said Heck. “Russ DeJong has provided prenatal care to hundreds of low-income women at Seton. He has also worked for 11 years with the local family planning program to prevent the need for abortions. No one has worked harder to support women in whatever decision they make regarding a pregnancy,” she said.