Posted on 04/03/2020 8:00:44 PM PDT by Morgana
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Abortion foes filed a federal lawsuit alleging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order to stay home to slow coronavirus spread violates their right to protest outside of abortion clinics.
One of the plaintiffs, Andrew Belanger, said he was cited March 31 by Detroit police while he preached outside of Scotsdale Women’s Center. He said he was holding a pro-life sign and kept a distance from others.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, said that 15 police officers in eight patrol cars showed up while Belanger was engaged in “peaceful expressive activity.”
He and the other pro-life activists are represented by American Freedom Law Center attorneys Robert Muise of Ann Arbor and David Yerushalmi of Washington, D.C.
They said police violated Belanger’s First Amendment rights to free speech and free exercise of religion as well as 14th Amendment rights to equal protection. They say others are allowed, under the governor’s order, to use public sidewalks for walking or bicycling, but the order punished religious expression on the sidewalk.
“The law violation described in the citation is ‘emergency powers of governor,’” the attorneys wrote.
“The offense was described as ‘Subject refusing to leave, protesting outside while shutdown is in effect.’”
The lawsuit was filed this week by Bellanger and two others, Justin Phillips and Calvin Zastro.
Chelsea Lewis, the governor’s deputy press secretary, released a statement that said:
"We are still reviewing the lawsuit and, as a matter of standard practice, do not comment on the specifics of pending litigation. The governor, however, carefully considers all of the actions she is taking in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and she is confident that these actions are lawful and necessary to protect the health and safety of Michiganders during this unprecedented public health emergency.”
Meanwhile, the National Abortion Federation called on Whitmer to prevent “anti-abortion groups from using the guise of ‘worship services’ to continue harassing patients and clinic staff despite the Governor’s ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe’ Order.”
The group, not involved the lawsuit, said anti-abortion protesters increase the risk of COVID-19 exposure.
The Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, president and CEO of National Abortion Federation, wrote to the governor.
She asked that a religion exemption be removed under the stay-at home order.
“As an Episcopal Priest, I appreciate your efforts to accommodate those who wish to gather in worship during these difficult times.
“However, the persistence of anti-abortion protesters in gathering en masse outside of clinics is a public health issue that simply must be addressed, and the unfortunate fact of the matter is that the religious exemption to Michigan’s stay at home order has become these extremists’ carte blanche for harassing health care workers and their patients, and increasing their odds of COVID-19 exposure in the process.”
Her group has received reports of large gatherings where protesters “used the guise of holding ‘worship services’ to gather outside clinics, needlessly increasing the risk of exposure to and transmission of COVID-19, both among each other and to health care providers and the patients they serve.”
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit said they are unfairly singled out as Christians. They “oppose abortion based on their sincerely held religious belief that abortion is an intrinsic evil. Plaintiffs engage in expressive religious activity on the public sidewalks and other public fora outside of facilities where abortions are committed as part of their religious exercise.”
The lawsuit said that Phillips and another pro-lifer showed up while police were talking to Belanger.
“The officers told the pro-lifers that while abortion was ‘essential’ under the Governor’s order and thus permitted, the pro-lifers’ First Amendment activity was not ‘essential’ and thus unlawful,” the lawsuit said.
The conversation was recorded, the lawsuit said.
a stinker, real loser lawsuit.
You hope a lawsuit to overturn a violation of fundamental rights goes nowhere? Maybe this is the wrong forum for you.
“Abortion protesters sue Gov. Whitmer for alleged violation of her stay-at-home order”
That’s ironic. But I guess it wouldn’t happened to her if she just stayed home like everyone else.
it’s not an effective lawsuit. the stay at home orders are prohibiting all kinds of first amendment activity equally.
if the order (or the police were practically) allowing protesting against the police while prohibiting protesting at an abortion mill, there would be a first amendment violation.
but the gov’t can restrict everyone’s first amendment rights equally when there is a reason to do so.
Read on there’s more I wanted you all to catch
There’s never a reason. That flies in the face of what so many died for during the Revolutionary War.
We haven’t kept the Republic.
thanks for the insults
Yep, female Episcopal priest, head of abortion rights group. These despicable frauds seem to be unaware of how obvious there demonic behavior is. Screwtape would have them be a little more surreptitious.
If the govt. can keep me from attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist, especially during the Easter season, then they definitely can’t allow abortions to continue during the same period of time!
She wants to keep her corrupt church open but does not want pro lifers out there!
No freaking doubt. You seem to be as dismayed by what you are seeing here as I am. It is even worse than it was back when we had people shilling for the 'patriot's act. I am astounded at how willing people are to completely abandon their fundamental rights.
But performing abortions doesn't? How curious.
Yes, I do understand.
Abortion will continue unless the abortion industry has no doctors to murder, no nurses to help them and NO females who want to murder their own flesh and blood.
They are all disobeying the FIFTH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt not kill. It's COMMANDMENT, not a suggestion.
The pressure MUST be maintained!
Did you see this in a different location?
**Karen,
Today, we can confirm that the 107th abortion facility has gone out of business following a 40 Days for Life campaign...
...and it’s directly attributable to the prayers of 40 Days for Life participants!
More on that big news in a moment. But first, meet a HIGH SCHOOL student who was saved from abortion during the first-ever 40 Days for Life campaign nearly 16 years ago...and find out how you can win a signed copy of my book To the Heart of the Matter in today’s video blog:**
NO! give me the linky and Ill post it!
She should be excommunicated from the Episcopalian Church. That is, if they have that.
For ALL CHRISTIANS abortion should be an ABOMINATION, the work of Satan.
AMEN!
“but the gov’t can restrict everyone’s first amendment rights equally when there is a reason to do so.”
No.
Both sides are idiots.
L
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