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Activists Continue To Fight (Abortion) Clinic As It Opens (Aurora, IL)
CBS 2 Chicago ^ | 10/2/2007 | n/a

Posted on 10/02/2007 10:12:55 AM PDT by Pyro7480

Activists Continue To Fight Clinic As It Opens
Anti-Abortion Activist: 'It Won't Be Over Until Planned Parenthood Leaves Aurora'

(CBS) AURORA, Ill. After weeks of delays, protests and legal challenges, a women's health clinic that performs abortions has opened in Aurora, but activists are committed to driving it out of town.

The Planned Parenthood clinic on Aurora's East New York Street officially opened on Tuesday morning. Its opening was delayed because Aurora officials would not issue occupancy permits while a review was under way into Planned Parenthood's use of a subsidiary, Gemini Office Development, to build the clinic.

On Monday, Mayor Tom Weisner announced that reviews by three different attorneys found no legal basis to deny an occupancy permit to the clinic, even if Planned Parenthood was less than forthcoming about its presence there. That paved the way for the clinic to open, two weeks after it was scheduled to do so.

Anti-abortion activists, who have been mounting round-the-clock protests, said they do not view the opening as a failure. They said the two weeks they succeeded in keeping the clinic closed saved unborn lives, and they vow to continue their fight.

But they prayed out loud and to themselves in what they called a day of mourning. They carried rosaries and brought signs and symbols.

One man carried a black cardboard sign showing a child's face and the message, "Face it – abortion kills," and showed a figurine that represented an 11-week old fetus.

"This is what the girls are carrying when they go in to have abortions," he said.

Weisner said Monday he felt that Planned Parenthood was "less than forthcoming in some ways" but added that other developers have been known to avoid disclosing they have a tenant in place for a building.

He said he felt that he had an obligation to investigate the allegations and acknowledged being "inundated with thousands of phone calls, letters and requests from people who felt passionately on both sides of the abortion issue.

"As elected officials, we, however, are sworn to uphold the law regardless of our personal, emotional or even religious beliefs," he said. "Based on the opinions of these three attorneys, the city of Aurora has no legal basis to deny Planned Parenthood an occupancy permit."

"This fight was about providing services that some take for granted, but many don't have access to, and yes, this fight was about providing access to abortion services," said Steve Trombley, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area. "But we know that the services we provide at this center will do more in one day to prevent abortions than our opponents will do in a lifetime of protesting."

Supporters of the center cheered at Trombley's remarks, while their opponents planned their next move. They claim the center does not have a special use permit, which would be required as a not-for-profit.

"Every citizen in Aurora, every developer in Aurora, every property owner in Aurora should be very concerned about the precedent that was set here," said Eric Scheidler, spokesman for the Pro-Life Action League. "We have zoning laws that have been completely ignored."

Their first step, he says, is to go to the Aurora Zoning Board of Appeals, and the group also plans to file a lawsuit.

But Planned Parenthood says it sees no basis for the lawsuit, and will continue providing services ranging from PAP tests to abortion.

Also Monday, anti-abortion activists filed a libel lawsuit against Planned Parenthood in Kane County district court, claiming Planned Parenthood stated in a letter to Aurora officials and in at least one newspaper advertisement that opponents of the clinic had "a well-documented history of violence and criminal activity."

Trombley said he saw "no basis for this lawsuit" but that he hadn't read it and so couldn't comment further.

CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman, Derrick Blakley and the Associated Press contributed to this report.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abortion; aurora; illinois; plannedparenthood

1 posted on 10/02/2007 10:13:04 AM PDT by Pyro7480
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To: Pyro7480


2 posted on 10/02/2007 10:14:04 AM PDT by Pyro7480 ("Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, esto mihi Jesus" -St. Ralph Sherwin's last words at Tyburn)
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To: wagglebee; Salvation; Coleus; cpforlife.org; NYer

Pro-life ping!


3 posted on 10/02/2007 10:15:04 AM PDT by Pyro7480 ("Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, esto mihi Jesus" -St. Ralph Sherwin's last words at Tyburn)
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To: Pyro7480

This new AbortionMart will serve their constituents very well. It’s right in the heart of the bluest area.


4 posted on 10/02/2007 10:32:41 AM PDT by Ron in Acreage (Conservative 1st, republican sometime)
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To: Pyro7480

...and new service to Moloch continues...:*(


5 posted on 10/02/2007 11:28:22 AM PDT by pillut48 (CJ in TX --Soccer Mom, Bible Thumper and Proud to be an American! WIN, FRED, WIN!!!)
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