People Are Freaking Out Over Paul Ryan Blocking Planned Parenthood Petitions

When a crowd of Planned Parenthood Action Fund volunteers arrived at the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, D.C. carrying more than 87,000 #StandWithPP petitions meant for Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s office on Friday, they were turned away by security guards.

According to Planned Parenthood, Ryan sent six security guards to stop the pink-T-shirt-clad group of volunteers from delivering their petitions, which ask the House Speaker to protect funding for Planned Parenthood through Medicaid and Title X. The mass of petitions was gathered in the wake of Ryan's announcement on Thursday confirming that the GOP does indeed plan to try and cut all federal funding to the non-profit organization. “I was so proud to stand with Planned Parenthood today. Paul Ryan needs to know that you can't mess with women's health care and not expect a fight," Planned Parenthood volunteer Morgan Burris told Teen Vogue. The stand-off between the volunteers and the House Speaker's office has taken on a second life on Twitter via the hashtag #PaulRyanSoScared. Many of the comments are humorously impassioned, teasing the House Speaker for being afraid of paper, while others focus on the fears of those who face losing one of their primary sources of reproductive health.

Paul Ryan’s office wouldn't accept the petitions, but maybe they'll hear the resulting phone calls.