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Photo courtesy of Pro-Life Standouts. A group of young adult Catholics held a protest against the sale of the abortion pill at CVS, by demonstrating outside the chain's Washington Street location in Westwood, MA on May 24, 2025.
Thanks to Pro-Life Standouts for contributing this article to Westwood Minute.
On Saturday, May 24th, members of the local Pro-Life Standouts group held signs in Islington, promoting the pro-life message and calling attention to CVS’s involvement in abortion. Back in 2023, both CVS and Walgreens announced that they would begin filling prescriptions for the “abortion pill” (mifepristone) in a limited number of states, including Massachusetts - a decision that local pro-life advocates sharply criticize.
At Saturday’s standout, pro-life supporters stood across the street from CVS and held signs calling on the company to stop distributing the abortion pill. One of the signs stated that “Abortion is not healthcare”, while another called on passers by to change their pharmacy. About 12 people came to the protest in total, though not all were present at the same time.
Organizer Gabriel D., a young adult from Westwood, described the event as important for drawing awareness to CVS’s decision. “CVS should stay out of the abortion business” he stated, saying that “not only does the abortion pill end the lives of hundreds of thousands of babies each year, but it’s also very dangerous for women.” He drew attention to a recently released study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, which looked at 865,727 prescribed mifepristone abortions from 2017 to 2023. The study found that “over one in ten patients experience at least one serious adverse event” including sepsis, heavy bleeding, and infection.
The abortion pill now accounts for roughly 2/3rds of abortions in the US, and it’s a controversial topic right now. During Covid, the Biden FDA removed previous safety standards requiring an in-person doctor visit before taking the pills. Opponents of Biden’s change argue that it removes safety protections for women, and they express concern that traffickers and abusive partners can get these pills online and coerce or trick women into taking them. Now, pro-life groups are hoping that Trump’s FDA will reinstate tougher regulations, but needless to say, there are strong feelings on the other side too.
This controversy was apparent in the reactions to Saturday’s standout. Some viewers showed their support with thumbs up and honks, while others expressed strong disagreement. Gabriel said he personally noticed more positive reactions than negative, which may be surprising given Massachusetts’ liberal reputation. But it’s consistent with what he’s seen at many previous standouts that he’s been involved with.
Overall, Gabriel describes the pro-life movement as based on love. “We love babies, and we want them to have a chance to live and grow up. We also love women, and for any woman in a difficult situation we’re ready to provide help and support.”
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