Abortion Foes Defy Law; 700 Seized at Clinics in Capital
Police arrested more than 700 anti-abortion protesters Friday on charges of violating a new District of Columbia law barring demonstrators from gathering within 100 feet of abortion clinics.
Spokesmen for Operation Rescue, the national anti-abortion group that organized the demonstrations, said that more than 1,000 protesters came here from around the country to oppose the new city ordinance.
Outside a downtown Washington clinic where abortions are performed, police arrested some of the approximately 300 protesters who were blocking the clinic’s entrance and congregating on the sidewalk outside.
The protests, which began before dawn, took place at four clinics.
Those arrested will face misdemeanor charges of blocking an entrance, which carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $50 fine, or crossing a police line, which carries a $50 fine, police Sgt. Joe Gentile said.
While they blocked the entrance to the clinic, the protesters sang hymns from the civil rights movement and used bullhorns to spread their message.
About 100 abortion-rights demonstrators attempted to shout down the anti-abortion forces from across the street.
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