Saturday, May 25, 2013
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Women Harassed By Protestors At ClinicSeveral Anchorage women claim they were harassed by protestors at a women's clinic.Several Anchorage women receiving services at a clinic claim they were harassed by several anti-abortion groups while walking into the building. Planned Parenthood provides a variety of services to thousands of Alaska women each year, and offcials say protestors are not uncommon year-round.
“We believe that obviously people have the right to free speech and that they should be able to demonstrate and say what they want to say,” Clover Simon, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood in Anchorage said.
Officials say over the last week several women who want to remain anonymous were harassed by protestors while walking into the clinic for services.
“We do run into patients that are intimidated by that,” she said.
On any given day you’ll find different organizations protesting in front of the clinic, including "40 Days For Life", a national anti-abortion group who plans to protest in front of Planned Parenthood until April 17th.
“Planned Parenthood does offer some other services but they are the largest abortion provider chain in America and our goal is to end abortion,” Haylee Shields, with the 40 Days For Life campaign said.
Part of their campaign is to use prayer to end abortion, which means no interaction with patients whatsoever.
“We are here as a prayerful presence, very peaceful, we don’t have any signs that are controversial, they just say pray to end abortion and that’s the main message,” she said.
Clinic officials say their main priority is prevention services and information so that abortion is the last resort for women.
“ The majority of the work we do is prevention and we do more to prevent abortion than anyone standing on the street is going to do,” Simon said.
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Why said on Saturday, Oct 15 at 6:26 AM
I'm a security guard posted outside a Planned Paretnhood. I work for a private company, and yet I am constantly harassed by these "peaceful protestors". I've had threats on my life, well-being, and personal property. What these individuals don't understand, is that I am in no way condoning or opposing abortion. I just work here. That's it. Maybe protestors would treat me differently if they knew that I only have this job to pay for the rising medical bills I'm forced to pay due to injuries I sustained while fighting for our country in Afghanistan.
75352412Anonymous said on Wednesday, Jul 20 at 8:49 AM
Ok, here is my opinion.... people say that it should be the womans choice to be able to hsve the child or not but nobody ever thinks bout the unborn. They never stop to ask there self who am I killing? Yes I do think its wrong to end a pregnancie once conceived because it has a heart beat so literally u are murdering a human, who might someday be the next president of the USA or the Polp or something big like that these unborn could be someonne big and make changes in this world for the better... What about these young girls who are getting pregnant young and nobody asks them what they want but they are forced into having an abortion by there parents? Because they think that it is for the better? What these parents don't understand is the emotional tole that they are putting onto there child that lasts a lifetime!
71009481me said on Wednesday, Apr 6 at 9:06 PM
People should be able to have the choice to continue or not to continue a pregnancy. Many people consider abortion if they feel like they can not responsible raise a child. However, I do not believe it should be used as a birth control mechanism. These abortions are happening in very early stages unlike the pictures the protester have. Protester please find something better to do than harass everyone. Let people make their own decision.
64330534Lisa said on Wednesday, Apr 6 at 10:08 AM
Peaceful prayer is harassment?Perhaps they just don't want to have to say, when they killed humans at the fetal stage, I did not speak up, because I was safely beyond the fetal stage.
64274164Lisa said on Wednesday, Apr 6 at 10:04 AM
Praying is harassment? Maybe these folks just took to heart the old saying: when they came for the Jews, I was silent, because I am not a Jew. When they came for the Communists, I was silent because I am not a communist. Etc., etc., until: Then, when they came for me, there was no one left to speak up. I think these protesters don't want to have to say, when they killed the fetal humans, I did not speak up, because I am beyond the fetal stage...
64273814eachmorning said on Wednesday, Apr 6 at 3:37 AM
'40 Days' says it's not them. 'Drive by' has just seen distant protestor but has never witnessed what happens when someone pulld up to enter the PP facility, so it's all made up...So many services that PP provides, as 'freeme' says, so many concerned with helping, where are the offers of health insurance and financial support for these women instead of just emotionally attacking them? Tempted to grab some coffee and my video cam and watching the groups in action.
64232724Drive By said on Tuesday, Apr 5 at 11:05 AM
I have driven by there many times - have you seen how far away from Planned Parenthood those people are? There is no way they could be harassing women from that distance - they are not even in the parking lot! Shame on Channel 11 for making up "facts" and spreading them as truth, I expect this of the ADN not channel 11.
64178759freeme said on Tuesday, Apr 5 at 8:14 AM
Imagine if the woman who chose to not have their child were met by the protestors with health insurance, a living wage job and financial support. All the things the republicians are trying to eliminate. As the social safety nets are reduced, abortions will rise.
64162644AK11 said on Monday, Apr 4 at 10:16 PM
40 days for life is a peaceful prayer time to help bring an end to abortion, from what I hear. They say there have been at least 253 babies saved throughout I believe around 247 cities just by their presence and the act of prayer. That number is amazing to me, and I'd say it seems like there really is Someone hearing those prayers. I see them nearly every day and it seems they are always just standing on the side-walk away from the entrance holding their signs.
64133539inquiry said on Monday, Apr 4 at 3:22 PM
I was inclined to engage anti-abortion protestors dialectically with their own Bible .....but realise the protestors are not about God.... the are like the flagellants ... who would go about the countryside showing their piety by whipping themselves nearly to death and scooping up attention ... food .. wonder .....and I imagine loathing in some quarters... from those who stood to lose their authority... emotionally beating up women as they enter Planned Parenthood is just flat wrong and abusive
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