Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-841-1700; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Policy Advisor, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue, info@operationrescue.org
AURORA, Ill., Oct. 5 /Christian Newswire/ -- After pro-life efforts that kept the nation's largest abortion mill from opening for two weeks, Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner issued a permit that allowed Planned Parenthood clinic to open on October 2.
"We've just begun to fight," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "We don't give up on the lives of innocent babies that easily."
With pro-life efforts keeping Planned Parenthood off guard, no abortions were done this week. However, abortions are scheduled for next week. Eric Scheidler, who is spearheading efforts to stop Planned Parenthood, is calling for a pro-life presence outside the "abortion fortress" every hour it is open during the week of October 8, while further legal avenues to closing the clinic are explored.
Planned Parenthood deceptively obtained permits to build their $7.5 million office under an assumed name in order to prevent opposition, lying on permits by claiming that they did not know what kind of business would occupy the premises.
Weisner based his decision to issue the permanent occupancy permit on three flawed reports.
- Weisner accepted the report issued by attorney Richard Martens over the objections of the City Council that expressed concern of a conflict of interest with him.
- State Attorney John Barsanti's report indicated that Planned Parenthood's deception did not meet the standard of criminal fraud, however, criminal fraud was never an issue in opposition to the issuance of the permit, making Barasanti's findings a "red herring."
- Attorney Phillip Leutkehans issued a rushed report that was "riddled with strikeouts and underscores" according to the Pro-Life Action League, which failed to address the concerns that a special use permit was required before a non-profit clinic could open at that location.
Weisner's decision to issue the permanent occupancy permit has been appealed by the Thomas More Society Pro-Life Law Center.
"It's obvious that Planned Parenthood has brought its considerable muscle to bear on the mayor of Aurora, and that he has caved in to the abortionists over the wishes of the community and the voters who put him into office," said Newman.
"If Planned Parenthood thinks this is a permanent defeat, they are sadly mistaken. We will continue to pursue every legal avenue until this lying abortion business is forced to close," he said.
About Operation Rescue
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.
