Massive National Protest Against Planned Parenthood

Thousands of pro-lifers turned out in U.S. cities nationwide Saturday for a massive show of opposition against Planned Parenthood, an event billed as the largest simultaneous protest ever aimed at the embattled abortion and health-care provider.

#ProtestPP, the coalition of pro-life groups sponsoring the event, reported that at least 314 protests took place in almost every state and the District of Columbia, as well as a handful of international venues, including Dublin, Ireland.

The hashtag #ProtestPP was also the top U.S. trender on Twitter for most of Saturday after the morning protests began.

The impetus: A series of undercover videos released since July 14 by the pro-life Center for Medical Progress, which exposed Planned Parenthood’s involvement in procuring fetal tissue and organs from abortions used for medical research.

“I see the tide changing in our country,” Jeff Medders, pastor of the Redeemer Church in Houston, told ABC 13. “For me it was really out of sight, out of mind, and then I saw these videos and thought, ‘I can’t be the same anymore.’ “

The videos include footage of Planned Parenthood officials haggling over the price of fetal organs such as hearts and brains, although the organization has insisted that it only charges for reimbursement costs related to transportation and storage, which is legal under federal law.

The rallies, held mostly outside Planned Parenthood affiliates, drew anywhere from a few dozen to more than 1,000 participants. Speakers included evangelical pastors, Catholic priests and pro-life advocates, according to posts on social media and local news reports.

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