Abortion Protest Ends Peaceful Week of Vigils

Capping a week of low-key prayer vigils, about 100 abortion foes rallied Saturday outside a Hillcrest clinic in an orderly protest, delivering on organizers’ assurances that the week would remain peaceful.

Clutching Bibles, beads and pictures or pink plastic likenesses of fetuses, protesters prayed while strolling around the medical center housing the Womancare Clinic on 6th Avenue. Protesters also prayed while standing about the driveway in front of the center and sang hymns while huddled together in the morning fog across the street, in Balboa Park.

While the protesters circled the building, about 200 advocates of abortion rights, many of them dressed in high-visibility orange vests, warily watched the single-file procession. About two dozen stood shoulder to shoulder inside the center’s driveway and held high a fishing net, ready to block protesters in a confrontation if it came--which it did not. Police reported no arrests.

The rally Saturday concluded a week’s worth of vigils that began Aug. 17. During the week, protesters rallied at six San Diego-area clinics, part of a series of demonstrations staged by abortion foes around the state.

Abortion opponents held vigils through the week at two sites in San Diego and at clinics in La Mesa, Poway, San Marcos and San Ysidro, then wrapped up the week with the sole vigil Saturday in Hillcrest.

“It was, I think, a real powerful week,” said Connie Youngkin, the San Diego coordinator of the protests, which organizers dubbed “Turn the Hearts California.”

Abortion foes said they successfully turned out enough people to hold vigils each and every hour the six clinics were open during the past week. “We did what we were supposed to do,” said Cheryl Sullenger, 35, of Santee, who directed the vigils at Family Planning Associates in La Mesa. “We had a really, really good week.”

But advocates of abortion rights also claimed success. “I really think this was a victory for the pro-choice movement,” said Kim Carpender, one of the orange-vested patient escorts. “All the women at all the sites have gotten in for care.”

About 10 San Diego police officers kept watch Saturday on the rally, mindful of the anti-abortion protests this past month that have shaken Wichita, Kan., where about 2,600 abortion foes have been arrested. “Here, though, I really don’t think there’s been any problem,” police said Lt. John A. Welter.

The only problems, police said, involved relatively minor complaints. Despite a printed pamphlet’s instructions from vigil organizers to leave “all pro-life signs at home,” Bob Elmer, 31, of San Diego, held high a color photo of a fetus while leaning on a pole at the edge of the center driveway.

Elmer drew complaints from orange-vested escorts a few feet away inside the entrance, then moved on to circle the building. Elmer said he interpreted the instructions to refer only to “picket signs.”

But Ashley Phillips, the executive director of the clinic, said the incident marked a sign of protesters’ bad faith. “Many of the things they claimed they were not going to do, they’re doing,” she said.

Both sides also quibbled over the meaning of the turnout at the event, which drew about 100 more supporters of abortion rights than abortion foes. Police supplied the crowd estimates.

“The Lord can do what he wants through one person,” anti-abortion activist Eileen Scipione said. “He doesn’t need numbers.”

Last week, supporters of abortion rights also outnumbered abortion foes at Womancare Clinic by about 100 to 20, Phillips said. “The pro-choice community definitely is showing its support,” she said.

Intriguingly, both sides agreed--at least for one day--that it was nice to be nice to each other. “Everybody’s trying to out-nice each other,” said Jim Deyling, 31, a Spring Valley carpenter and abortion foe. “It’s very calm and peaceful right now. We’re being nice, and I’ve never seen the pro-choice people so considerate in my life.”

Clinic director Phillips said, “We absolutely respect them exercising their First Amendment rights. A lot of these people seem really surprised that we’re people, too. They’ve been consistently treated with courtesy and respect this week. I think that’s been surprising to them.”