Abortion
clinic
escort strikes Planned Parenthood investigator Lila Rose
San Jose, Calif. - Legal charges are pending against a male Planned
Parenthood escort who struck pro-life activist Lila Rose on the hands
on Thursday outside an abortion clinic. She warned that the surprising
attack should not help create a “double standard” that hinders clinic
protesters’ free speech rights.
Rose, the president of Live Action Films who has led undercover
investigations into the abortion provider, was not injured in the
attack.
She was on a public sidewalk outside a Planned Parenthood affiliate in
San Jose, California with a group of about 20 students and three adults
to pray and provide information to women who might be open to
alternatives to abortion, a statement from Live Action says.
Shortly before noon on Thursday, she interacted with a uniformed male
Planned Parenthood escort.
According to Rose, she spoke to the escort from the public sidewalk and
asked him if he was familiar with the abortion procedure.
The escort then approached her rapidly from the Planned Parenthood
parking lot and said, “You idiot. You've caused so much trouble. You
piece of crap."
Rose asked if she could show him a picture of what abortion “really
does to a baby.” The escort then struck Rose on the hand, knocking
literature and a Bible to the ground.
According to Live Action Films, the police report said Rose stepped
further back on the sidewalk and the escort stepped toward her.
He was visibly shaking and said “It’s a woman’s choice!”
To this, Rose responded “What about the baby’s choice?”
The escort said “It’s not a baby!” and turned and walked away.
Police were called and interviewed Rose and several witnesses. She
suffered no injuries in the attack, but charges of assault and battery
are pending.
In a Friday e-mail Rose told CNA that she was “very surprised” at what
happened. She said the escort appeared to recognize her, which has not
happened before at a clinic.
“Unborn children face much, much worse...they are violently denied
their very lives, and they are totally defenseless,” she added.
Rose emphasized that pro-lifers have the right to free speech on public
sidewalks.
“If this right is infringed upon by threatening physical contact, the
law must intervene and the guilty party must accept the consequences.”
Saying that pro-life sidewalk counselors are subjected to “the most
rigorous scrutiny,” she warned that a double standard could be created
if threatening physical contact against sidewalk counselors is allowed.
Rose also reported “good news”: a woman who thought she was pregnant
and was considering abortion turned around. One of the parents and
their daughter at the clinic then drove the woman and her friend to a
crisis pregnancy center.
She told CNA that her organization has not heard anything from Planned
Parenthood.
Live Action in a statement said it maintains a “strong commitment to
non-violent public discourse.”
“We expect Planned Parenthood will respond to their escort's attack by
publicly disavowing the use of violence,” the statement said.
Source:
CNA
Publish
Date: December 19, 2009
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The IFRL is the largest grassroots pro-life organization in
Illinois. A non-profit organization, that serves as the state
coordinating body for local pro-life chapters representing thousands of
Illinois citizens working to restore respect for all human life in our
society. The IFRL is composed of people of different political
persuasions, various faiths and diverse economic, social and ethnic
backgrounds. Since 1973 the Illinois Federation for Right to Life has
been working to end abortion and restore legal protection to those members of the
human family who are threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. Diverse though we are, we hold one common belief - that
every human being has an inalienable right to life that is precious and must be protected. IFRL is
dedicated to restoring the right to life to the unborn, and protection
for the disabled and the elderly. Click here to learn more about the IFRL.