POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Planned Parenthood supporters gathered in Poughkeepsie to “defend” the defunding of the organization by the federal government.
"I wanted to show support for Planned Parenthood in a very public way when these people are coming and denouncing their good work," said "Defend" Planned Parenthood organizer Analiese Dorff. "I think it's very important for communities to stand up their local Planned Parenthoods."
"We stand for women and people everywhere to be able to access reproductive healthcare services," said Public Affairs Coordinator Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley Ashley Casale.
An opposing group across the street called on government representatives to “defund” the organization.
"I find it very interesting the women are here today, the feminist women, they don’t like to be looked at as sexual objects. Yet, they use their sexual organs as their main reason for being here," said "Defund" Planned Parenthood organizer Maureen Haege.
Officials from Planned Parenthood said if the government decides to defund the organization nearly 2.5 million patients will be without care, but opposing protesters said one of the main reasons Planned Parenthood needs to be defunded is because it supports abortions.
"The major part of their business is abortion that's where they make most of their money and they do those other service, but we are asking that the government take the funds from Planned Parenthood and give it to federally funded clinics across the United States that to do services that do not do abortions," Haege said.
"We stand for women and people everywhere to be able to access reproductive health care services; 97 percent of what we do is preventative and reproductive service, three percent of what we do is abortion, they would have you skew the narrative and see it a different way,” Casale said.
The supporters for Planned Parenthood outnumbered the group protesting to defund Planned Parenthood, but Planned Parenthood supporters said they are fighting for women's rights and their choice for quality healthcare.
"Planned Parent supports women, supports healthcare, supports life in general. If it wasn’t for Planned Parenthood and a lot of the services they provide there's a lot of women out there and men included whose health would be in danger," said Planned Parenthood supporter Kim Carlin.
Protests were also held in Kingston and Newburgh. Planned Parenthood supporters and opponents said they plan on organizing more protests in the coming weeks.