Offer of Free Abortions on Roe Anniversary
A doctor who once was shot by an anti-abortion protester marked the 29th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision that made abortion legal by offering the procedure free Saturday, a move that drew more than 100 protesters to his clinic.
With the demonstrators yelling and praying from beyond a fence, Dr. George Tiller spoke to 65 supporters and warned them that abortion rights are at a fragile point.
Former President Clinton thwarted opponents’ attempts to curb access to abortions, legalized by a Supreme Court decision Jan. 22, 1973. President Bush, however, opposes abortion, and conservatives in Congress and several states have pushed for restrictions.
In a proclamation Friday, Bush declared today to be National Sanctity of Human Life Day. “Unborn children should be welcomed in life and protected in law,” he said.
Tiller said at least 32 low-income women signed up for the free first-trimester abortions. Protesters called the offer a publicity stunt.
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