SYRACUSE -- Demonstrators on both sides of Rep. Buerkle's vote on taking fenderal money away from Planned Parenthood protested Wednesday in Syracuse.
The first rally started at about three o'clock in Clinton Square. The Planned Parenthood Truth Team held up signs supporting Planned Parenthood. The group says proposed funding cuts making their way through Congress would have a negative impact on women. Demonstrators say federal money does not go toward abortion, and the cuts would mean less money for other services at Planned Parenthood, like cervical cancer screenings.
"The real fear that I have is the nearly 3 million women in this country and the nearly 17 thousand in our region who rely on family planning services will not have the affordable care that they need," said Betty DeFazio, the director of community affairs and public policy at Planned Parenthood of the Syracuse/Rochester Region.
Shortly after that rally, the "Women Speak Out: Defund Planned Paretnhood" bus tour stopped outside the Syracuse office of Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle. The group is made up of pro-life supporters who praised Buerkle for voting for the funding cuts to Planned Parenthood. Demonstrators in this group say Planned Parenthood's business model "destructive to women, unborn children, and young girls and is offensive to taxpayers."
"That money should be used for helping women for those screenings and other services, it should go to organizations that don't also contribute to the murder of unborn children" said Michelle Deferio, who supports defunding Planned Parenthood.
