Anti-Choicers Say Protests at Tiller's Former Clinic Are Too Disruptve

A number of anti-abortion groups want the Wichita City Council to rezone the neighborhood that hosts the recently opened South Wind Women’s Center, located in the same building where Dr. George Tiller provided abortions before he was murdered by an anti-choicer, because the aggressive protests would disrupt residential life. Logic!

From The Witchita Eagle:

In a Monday afternoon news release, the groups cited several gun incidents at the site during Tiller’s years at the clinic, the unwillingness of South Wind’s security to communicate with them to “defuse violence” before it occurs and the antagonism of South Wind escorts toward anti-abortion demonstrators.

In addition, the groups say it is inappropriate for schoolchildren to see the protests and graphic signs associated with a clinic performing abortions.

“The reason they cite is that we’re a nuisance to the neighborhood,” said Julie Burkhart, the executive director of Trust Women, which opened the clinic. “From our perspective, it’s the anti crowd and their protests that are the nuisance.”

Clearly, the clinic — the only one in Wichita that provides abortions — is the problem, not the “inappropriate” (their words, not ours!) protestors themselves.

Kansans for Life tried to do this same thing back in February to no avail, so hopefully the council will immediately dismiss the call.

“In talking with people, it seems it would be rather unprecedented for the City Council to force the planning commission to have a hearing and make a decision when they’ve already voted not to,” Burkhart said.