For a better experience of this site, we recommend that you upgrade your web browser. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the full site menu.

Home Action News Special Issue 2008 Ground Zero (2 of 7)

Special Issue 2008 ACTION NEWS | VOL. XXVII No. 1

This Special Report on the Pro-Life Action League's battle in Aurora, Illinois is divided into seven parts.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

The League at Ground Zero, cont.

First Signs of Trouble with Police

The chief spoke with me and laid some ground rules for the Vigil, including that we not block the sidewalk and that we "keep moving"—a blatantly unconstitutional demand. I assured him we would not block the sidewalk, and he responded that he'd seen several people cross the street to avoid our group, numbering about thirty that first hour.

Prayer vigil outside Planned Parenthood

The historic Vigil begins the morning of Aug. 9, 2007 [Photo by EJS]

I pointed out that the group was so large only because it was the opening hour of the Vigil, and that it wasn't our fault if people chose to cross the street—we weren't blocking them. Our conversation was civil, but the chief's confrontational tone was troubling. As soon as he left, I contacted Tom Brejcha of the Thomas More Society Pro-Life Law Center to see if he could set up a formal meeting with the chief. I would spend many hours on the phone with Tom in the coming months.

As the Vigil got underway, police began to give confusing and contradictory directives. One officer would insist that we not stand on the parkway between the sidewalk and the curb, while the next would tell us to keep off the sidewalk and stand on the parkway, which was quite muddy at that time. One sergeant would suggest we stand on pieces of plywood to keep off the sidewalk without getting wet feet, while another would demand that we remove the plywood.

Community Meeting Draws Hundreds

On August 16, one week into the Vigil, we held an afternoon press conference and protest at the Planned Parenthood site featuring Jim Sedlak, Denise Mackura of Ohio Right to Life, and myself. Just before the press conference, police insisted we remove the white memorial crosses that someone had installed shortly after the Vigil began. However, Mackura, who is an attorney, convinced them that the crosses were allowed under the city's sign ordinance, a copy of which Ann Scheidler happened to have on hand. Police had been giving us trouble about our small signs that read, Keep Abortion Out of Aurora, sometimes requiring us to hold them, other times allowing us to prop them against trees.

At the press conference, the print media, which had already been covering the story, were joined by several radio stations. I had sent an e-mail alert out early that day, and more than 200 pro-lifers responded—an overwhelming level of commitment that would be repeated as the Aurora story unfolded. I told the crowd, "Whether it's 40 days of prayer or 40 years of effort, we will shut down the Abortion Fortress of Aurora."

Next we moved on to the Fox Valley Park District's Prisco Center for a community meeting. Earlier that day, the Fox Valley Park District Police Chief had called me, worried about counter-protests and threatening to cancel our contract. I calmed him down and assured him he had nothing to worry about. Fewer than twenty pro-aborts showed up to protest outside the meeting, while we packed the room with over 400 pro-lifers.

Candlelight Vigil

Candlelight vigil after the community meeting, Aug. 16, 2007 [Photo by Diane Pietrzak]

I emceed the community meeting, which featured a great pep talk by Joe Scheidler, a rousing exposé on Planned Parenthood by Jim Sedlak, legal advice from Denise Mackura and Thomas More Society attorney Jason Craddock. Volunteers Larry Johnson, Margie Breen and Jane Fonner shared stories of their experience with the Vigil to inspire others to participate. And for the first time we saw TV cameras, as the event was covered by Fox News Chicago. After the talks, we held a candlelight vigil out at the building site.

The community meeting was a tremendous success and played a decisive role in our successes through September. Not only were all who attended fired up by the event, but we were able to recruit "Day Captains" for all the open days on the Vigil, ensuring coverage throughout the forty days. And we transformed a suggestion by Denise Mackura that we fight Planned Parenthood through local zoning ordinances into a major part of our battle—one which continues to this day.

Conflict with Police Escalates

On August 23, Tom Brejcha drove out to Aurora to see if he and I could get a meeting with Commander Joe Groom of the Aurora Police Department. Tom had tried to set up a meeting with Chief Powell, but was referred instead to Groom, since Planned Parenthood is in his area. Groom had not returned Tom's calls, so we presented ourselves at his office at police headquarters.

However, Groom would not see us. He said he had to confer with the city attorney, Alayne Weingartz, and would call Tom on his cell phone later. So we went to the city law office to see Weingartz. She spoke to us through a glass partition, and was quite rude to Tom. She denied that our First Amendment Rights were being infringed, but said she would fax a memo to Tom to clarify the situation.

Neither Groom nor Weingartz contacted Tom again, so we had no choice but to file a complaint in federal court—a complaint which has since been amended to include additional violations of the First Amendment.

Four Front Rally Draws over 1,000

As the Vigil gained ground and hundreds of people began to get involved in pro-life activism for the first time, I saw the need for a major protest at Planned Parenthood. As my chosen date of August 25 drew closer, it became clear that the protest was going to be huge. More and more people were signing up for my daily e-mail messages, and the new "Families Against Planned Parenthood" website I had launched was nearing 1,000 visits a day.

Working with my colleague John Jansen, I put together a "Battle Plan" for the day, which included four spheres of activity: an "old school picket," a Face the Truth Tour, a leafleting campaign and a beefed-up vigil. Kathy Meier from the pro-life group at Our Lady of Mercy Church (a mile away from Planned Parenthood) set up parking and a shuttle bus. New Life Baptist Church also provided parking and a shuttle. I recruited a dozen experienced activists to act as Rally Captains.

August 25 Protest

Some of the 1,300 who attended the Aug. 25, 2007 rally [Photo by Sam Scheidler]

Early on the morning of August 25, I met with my Rally Captains and distributed copies of the five-page "Battle Plan", including detailed maps. Soon the crowds began to arrive, and the numbers were amazing—shuttle after shuttle dropped off pro-lifers by the score, and the picket lines soon swelled into the hundreds. We handpicked veteran activists for the Truth Tour down the block at New York Street and Eola Road and soon had 80 signs up, plus another 20 Life and Jesus signs across the street from the picket.

We had to add a second picket line and ran completely out of signs, but some enterprising participants bought posterboard and markers nearby and made their own. At their height, the picket lines alone boasted 900 participants. More than 250 were praying in the Vigil, 50 fanned out into the neighborhood to distribute "Why We Oppose Planned Parenthood" flyers, and 100 or more were holding large signs—plus hundreds more moving from one area to another, or taking pictures or video. Several videos of the rally were posted online at YouTube, print and radio coverage was great and we saw more TV cameras too. Several carloads of baby supplies were collected at a "Baby Shower" organized during the protest by Dawn Kararo.

[Go to Part 3]
[Back to Top]