Protesting abortion

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Up next: protesters on both sides of the abortion debate have rallied across the country since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. Most marches and demonstrations have targeted state capitals and other government buildings.

PAUL BUTLER, HOST: But yesterday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, pro-lifers gathered for a different kind of protest right outside an abortion facility. WORLD’s Leah Savas was there as the action unfolded.

AUDIO: [Worker arrives]

LEAH SAVAS, REPORTER: At 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, a gray Toyota Prius slows down in front of 320 Fulton Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The driver, a woman with brown hair and bangs, wants to turn right, but she can’t. There are about fifteen people standing in the way of the driveway, and they don’t plan to move any time soon. Others stand on the nearby sidewalk, some of them holding signs with images of aborted babies. The building behind them is the Heritage Clinic, the only surgical abortion facility in Grand Rapids.

JORDAN: We're just all Christians who met along the way and want to work. We're all from multiple different churches, all these different ways, different places, and we just want to honor Christ.

That’s Jordan. He’s young, bearded, a father of four—and a street preacher. He’s been coming to Heritage Clinic to preach the gospel for about two years.

Today, he’s here with about thirty other pro-lifers.

AUDIO: [SINGING]

They’ve gathered outside of the Grand Rapids abortion facility because of a controversy over a state law that existed before Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. That law protects all babies from abortion except to save the life of the mother. One pro-lifer reads it into a loudspeaker during the demonstration.

JOEL VANOYEN: …any person administered to any pregnant woman, any medicine, drug, substance...

Since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June, that law should be enforceable. A judge in May ruled to block the Michigan Attorney General from enforcing the law, but some county prosecuting attorneys have said they still intend to hold abortionists accountable. One of those is County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Becker. Here’s pro-lifer Jordan again:

JORDAN: So we're going to try to uphold the law. We're thankful that Chris Becker, the Kent County prosecutor said he would prosecute, and we're going to make it easy for him.

Jordan was outside of the facility two weeks ago, when the workers turned away all the women who had arrived that morning for appointments. That was the first day the facility had been open since the Supreme Court released its pro-life decision. By last week, it looked like business as usual. A couple women even confirmed to Jordan that they had come for abortions. He said he called the police but they told him they wouldn’t send any cars. On Tuesday, he filed a police report.

JORDAN: What it will do is since we've shown them evidence that they're doing abortions, and since we've called them when we're witnessing that people are coming here for abortions, this is going to cause them to make a choice. Who are they going to serve?

About ten minutes after the woman in the Prius arrives, the first police car pulls up with two officers. Within twenty more minutes there are about half a dozen squad cards and 10 officers. The pro-lifers hand the police copies of the 1931 abortion law and explain to them that Chris Becker has stated his intent to prosecute under the law. But the police officers say …

SERGEANT ORT: The state is still figuring out whether or not that law is gonna stay out a law on the books. And right now, it's not enforceable.

Even if it was, Sergeant Alan Ort said that nothing was happening in the business at the moment that he could take enforcement action against.

SERGEANT ORT: There's nothing going on in there right now for me to take enforcement action on...

JORDAN: Respectfully, truly respectfully I have called when they work and you guys have told me on the phone we will not send officers out to investigate.

Abortionist Thomas Gordon arrives a little after 8 o’clock in his black BMW. Eventually, some of the officers escort him to the entrance at the back of the building. They come back with three pro-lifers in handcuffs. The rest of the demonstrators are still on the driveway or nearby, so at around 8:20 Sergeant Ort makes the first announcement from his vehicle

SERGEANT ORT: This is the Grand Rapids Police Department. Please listen carefully. You're allowed to peacefully protest on the sidewalk in front of [inaudible]. You must stay on the sidewalk, not block the sidewalk for any pedestrian traffic. You may not block the driveway to 320 or any other driveway leading to private property. You must stay off private property and stay on the sidewalk.

Some of the pro-lifers continue to pace back and forth across the driveway. The police make three more arrests. By now, the driveway is open. Gordon drives his BMW in, and another vehicle follows him.

The pro-lifers are disappointed. Joel Vanoyen, the young man who read the 1931 law into the loud speaker, is standing by the police cars.

JOEL VANOYEN: We ask them to uphold the law that is on the Michigan State books. They say that's not what they're here for. So I called 911. Reporting multiple murders happening at this site. They did not do their due diligence.

By 9 o’ clock, most of the police officers are gone, and women have already started arriving for their appointments. Many of the pro-lifers stick around, praying, preaching, and handing out booklets, as they have done for years.

PRO-LIFER: Sweetie you don't have to do this today we're here in the name of Jesus to help you there's other options for you there's adoption there's people here that would adopt your baby. We'll help you. Whatever your need is, we'll come along beside you. We have people who will help you. If it's a financial need, housing, whatever it may be, please have mercy.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Leah Savas.

BROWN: To keep up with the latest news on the pro-life beat, subscribe to Leah's newsletter, Vitals, by going to wng.org/newsletters.

Editor’s note: WORLD has removed Jordan’s last name from this transcript due to security concerns.

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