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Curtis Gilbert
St. Paul, Minn.

Abortion rights foes, supporters stand their ground in Good Friday rallies

Abortion opponents
Opponents of legalized abortion carried a cross during a vigil and protest outside of Planned Parenthood in St. Paul, Minn. Friday, April 18, 2014.
Jeffrey Thompson/MPR News

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Supporters and opponents of abortion rights rallied outside Planned Parenthood offices in St. Paul Friday in side-by-side demonstrations.

Opponents have been holding the annual Good Friday protest for nearly 30 years. For the past 10 years or so, Planned Parenthood has staged a nearby counter demonstration, to raise money and rally its supporters.

The anti-abortion gathering is meant to cast judgment on Planned Parenthood, not on women seeking abortions, Twin Cities Catholic Archbishop John Nienstedt told the crowd.

Nienstedt leads a prayer
The Catholic Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis John Nienstedt led a prayer during a vigil and protest against legalized abortion outside of Planned Parenthood in St. Paul, Minn. Friday, April 18, 2014.
Jeffrey Thompson/MPR News

"We do come here to judge the unconscionable greed behind the doctors, nurses and supporters of Planned Parenthood, who, for 30 pieces of silver, offer a quick fix to such women, rather than helping than helping them find a real solution to their problems," he said.

While Planned Parenthood does provide abortions, 95 percent of its services are preventive care, spokeswoman Jen Aulwes said.

"[Supporters are] really excited to raise their voices in celebration of Planned Parenthood, in celebration of making sure that all people have access to care no matter what," Aulwes said. "So we're happy that it's a celebration on our side, and we look forward to this day, because it's a really nice way to spend time with our supporters."