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August 2, 2010

Man in Chicago arrested for praying outside clinic

First of all this is Chicago, where you'd expect liberal-progressive politicians and the laws they pass to go to great lengths to push abortion over life, but when the police employ a "bubble law" to arrest a man for praying, this seems a bit too far of a stretch - even for Chicago: Praying Outside Clinic Gets Man Disorderly Conduct Charge (Fox News):

A Chicago man says he's fighting charges of disorderly conduct for simply standing on a public sidewalk and praying.

Joseph Holland, a 25-year-old graduate student at Northwestern University, says he was standing still praying the rosary outside a Planned Parenthood facility in downtown Chicago July 3 when police arrested him for violating the city's new "Bubble Zone" ordinance.

The law, passed in October, states that a person cannot approach within 8 feet of another person without consent "for the purpose of passing a leaflet or handbill to, displaying a sign to, or engaging in oral protest, education or counseling" within 50 feet from any health care facility.

It also says a person cannot "by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction" intentionally interfere with any person entering or leaving any health care facility.

But Holland says he didn't approach or interfere with anyone.

"I was just standing by the building praying the rosary and one of the Planned Parenthood volunteers came up to me and started yelling at me that I needed to move 8 feet away, but the thing is I didn't actually approach anyone; I was just standing by the building and the building doesn't actually have a bubble," Holland told FoxNews.com.

Holland said he never responded to that volunteer or said a word to any Planned Parenthood staffers or anyone entering the building, but he still got arrested.

Clearly, as proven by this video, the only crime was that of the abortion clinic's own personnel purposefully placing herself right up against Holland in order to provoke Holland's arrest. Holland at no time whatsoever approached her or any of Planned Parenthood's clients.

Chicago's new bubble zone law is unquestionably meant to protect abortion centers from citizens exercising their right of free speech. Chicago's city council approved the law last October and pro-life groups say it targets those who provide women abortion alternatives, which, of course, is its intended purpose. Interestingly, Mayor Richard Daley, who claims to be a Catholic, signed it into law.

Posted by Richard at August 2, 2010 12:32 PM

• Man in Chicago arrested for praying outside clinic - Aug 02, 2010