“The closing of two
Planned Parenthood abortion facilities in Iowa is a great victory for life,”
said Thomas More Society-Omaha attorney Martin Cannon. “Credit goes to the
prayerful people of Red Oak and our listening God, but Thomas More Society
also had the honor of assisting these men and women. By clarifying the
existence of public property in front of the clinic, we were able to work with
the police of Red Oak to ensure that the people’s First Amendment rights to
assemble on public property were respected.”
The pro-life prayer
vigil and sidewalk counseling efforts at the Red Oak facility were jeopardized
during the Spring 2014 40 Days for Life campaign, when Planned Parenthood
challenged the right of pro-life advocates to stand on the grass parkway.
The abortion provider tried to have the praying crowd arrested and charged with
criminal trespassing, claiming that those praying were on private property.
Initially, the police
concurred with Planned Parenthood, but after intervention by Cannon and the Thomas
More Society-Omaha, the Red Oak city administrator verified the public right of
way. Legally equivalent to a public sidewalk, this is a “traditional public forum”
in the eyes of the law and constitutes a place where people have a First
Amendment right to assemble.
Many in the area
believe that the Planned Parenthood sites fell victim to the unrelenting
presence of those peacefully offering life-saving alternatives to
abortion. Regardless, the fact is that the Red Oak abortion facility and
its sister clinic in Creston, 40 miles down the same highway, are closing.
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