95 Abortion Foes Are Arrested as Protests Continue in Wichita

Police and U.S. marshals arrested 95 abortion protesters Monday for violating a court order against blockading two abortion clinics, bringing the number of arrests in four weeks to more than 2,300.

The arrests came one day after President Bush rebuffed two leaders of the abortion opponents at his vacation home at Kennebunkport, Me., and called on the demonstrators to keep their protests within the law.

U.S. District Judge Patrick F. Kelly has ordered protesters not to block access to Wichita Family Planning Inc. or Women’s Health Care Services, two clinics that have filed a lawsuit against the protesters.

A third clinic, Wichita Women’s Center, is not covered by the order.

Police on Monday arrested 42 people at Wichita Family Planning and 53 at Women’s Health Care Services. Protesters knelt, lay or sat in the street or the clinic driveways, blocking patients in vehicles and on foot. Police and marshals carried or dragged the protesters out of the way and arrested them.

Six days of demonstrations are planned to build momentum for a Sunday rally by anti-abortion groups, and Operation Rescue leaders say small groups of supporters are coming from all over the nation.

About 1,450 people have been arrested in the protests since July 15, many of them more than once. Most have been charged with loitering or trespassing, but some have faced contempt charges for violating the federal court order. Two have been sentenced to jail.

The protesters came to Wichita because one of the clinics is among only a few nationwide that conduct late-term abortions.

Meanwhile, representatives of 20 groups that back abortion rights announced the formation of a new coalition, Wichita Voices for Choice.

Members of the coalition said they plan a rally Saturday, a day before Operation Rescue’s rally, but no visible counter-demonstration at the Sunday event.