BARF - Coverage of ORN in Dayton, July 1997

Biblical America Resistance Front
Monitors Operation Rescue National
and other Compulsory Pregnancy Advocates in Dayton, Ohio, July 13-19, 1997

Event Reports and Timeline

Epilogue

Day Seven - Saturday, July 19, 1997

ORN Calls Off Dayton Airshow Visit

Day Six - Friday, July 18, 1997

ORN Again Surrounds Main Street Clinic

Day Five - Thursday, July 17, 1997

ORN Stages Memorial Service

Beginning at noon, Operation Rescue National held an event in Courthouse Square, Dayton, which they called a "memorial service" for unborn children. The centerpiece of this ceremony was a table holding a number of tiny caskets, each containing fetal remains. Following a program of preaching, prayers, testimonials from women who have had abortions, and hymns, attendees and bystanders were invited to view the remains.

A funeral procession, complete with hearse, carried the remains to a local cemetery where they were to be buried. We have learned that the cemetery burial took place in the vicinity of actual interrments in progress.

Day Four - Wednesday, July 16, 1997

ORN Surrounds Clinic, Calls Off Blockade

ORN staged a three-hour clinic protest at the Dayton Women's Center at 1829 North Main Street. Protesters grouped themselves across the alley behind the clinic holding signs, while Dayton police blocked the entrance to the back parking lot with both yellow tape and barriers. Patients were escorted through the lines of protesters and they successfully reached the clinic entrance. Two federal marshals were present, closely watching the proceedings.

We have learned that a complete blockade of clinic entrances was planned, but was called off by ORN leaders. The clinic continued to operate normally.

The director of the anti-abortion pregnancy center next door to the clinic addressed the demonstrators, giving her full support to their activities. Her facility provided food and restroom access to them.

ORN leaders announced they would be present until the doctor left the clinic. The doctor left through the alley full of demonstrators under police escort. Demonstrators initially expressed disbelief that the individual under police escort, a casually dressed black male, was in fact the doctor. Finally, all demonstrators moved to the sidewalk and parking lot of the pregnancy center next door for closing ceremonies.

Randall Terry Addresses Church Rally and Fundraiser

Terry addressed a packed Christ Life Sanctuary evening rally at which Terry's Republican candidacy for U.S. Congress, along with that of six other Republican anti-abortion candidates, was presented. Terry showed a 30 minute videotape, produced by a political consulting firm, which will be aired on television stations that must satisfy Federal equal-time requirements for political candidates.

About $30,000 for these political campaigns was collected at this church event. Terry plans to amass a fund of about one million dollars per candidate to finance campaign expenses.

Day Three - Tuesday, July 15, 1997

Kettering Police Arrest 4 ORN Clinic Protesters

A festive midday picnic was held on the property of Women's MedPlus Center in Kettering by ORN demonstrators. Following the usual program of songs, prayers and preaching, groups of about 20 demonstrators each blocked the front and rear doors of the clinic.

Kettering police response was slow and measured. The demonstrators were allowed to block the entrances for the better part of an hour while police watched the situation closely and repeatedly issued warnings to the group. These warnings were then specifically addressed to the individuals closest to the doors.

The first female arrested announced, as she was being loaded into a police van, that she had traveled from San Diego for this event. The Dayton Daily News reported that all four were not carrying identification and identified themselves as John or Jane Doe. Reportedly, one man later identified himself as Roger Hall of Birmingham, Alabama.

As of this writing (early morning of Friday 7/18) we have not spotted the two couples at demonstrations nor have heard any word of their status. To our knowledge there was no mention of the people arrested at the Wednesday night evening rally.

Clinic operations were only affected during the period when the doors were blockaded. Following the demonstrations, the clinic reopened and continued to receive patients.

Day Two - Monday, July 14, 1997

ORN Blockades Cincinnati Clinic

At approximately 7 am anti-abortion demonstrators began arriving at the Women's Med Plus Center at 3219 Jefferson Street in Cincinnati. We also noted that other individuals later identified as anti-abortion organizers were present on the street as early as 5:30 am.

During the following hour, one busload of anti-abortion activists arrived in a bus labeled "Cornerstone Baptist Church" of Dayton. These individuals demonstrated on the sidewalk until about 8am when they rushed the clinic and blocked the doors.

Moments later, before news media approached the clinic building, two anti-abortion activists, one playing the role of a clinic worker and the other a teenaged patient, appeared in the parking lot from the direction of the building. Other activists attempted to sidewalk-counsel the teenager. These two individuals continued acting in these roles - with others, including Vivian Skovgard, a local activist identified as the housing coordinator for ORN, continuing to sidewalk-counsel the teenager, around the parking lot, in and out of a van in the parking lot, and even as far as a building across the street. Clinic security personnel tried to block the sidewalk counselors, attempting to enforce a 15 foot buffer zone between them and the "patient."

Cincinnati Police officers began entering the clinic area. There were two blockades during the hour, with an intervening period where just a few activists blocked a side door and the others moved to the front of the parking lot.

Finally, Cincinnati Police delivered a final warning, which included the moving of a sheriff's bus to the parking lot along with a platoon of officers. The activists cleared the parking lot and moved to the street where Rev. Johnny Hunter and other leaders informed them that they would be walking to the Planned Parenthood building with police escort.

At about 10:15am the first demonstrators arrived at Planned Parenthood. After demonstrating on the sidewalk, they moved to the side and rear driveway, gathering around an entrance there. After praying, singing, chanting and preaching, the demonstrators returned to the front sidewalk.

At about noon the anti-abortion activists were transported to the residence of a Cincinnati doctor where demonstrations continued into the early afternoon.

Day One - Sunday, July 13, 1997

Operation Rescue National held their "Solemn Assembly" at Christ Life Sanctuary in Kettering.

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