The
Thomas More Society has intervened in a Kissimmee, Florida, First
Amendment rights dispute between police and pro-life advocates at the
site of a proposed Planned Parenthood clinic in Kissimmee. See the
release below for details.
Best Regards,
Lori E. Solyom
TC Public Relations
1 North LaSalle Avenue, Suite 600
Chicago, IL 60602
630.640.0426 (cell)
Florida Police Warned Not to Violate First Amendment Rights of Peaceful Pro-Life Protesters
Thomas More Society tells Pro-Life Advocates to Proceed with Prayer Vigil at Kissimmee Planned Parenthood
Thomas More Society tells Pro-Life Advocates to Proceed with Prayer Vigil at Kissimmee Planned Parenthood
(April 4, 2014 – Kissimmee, FL) The Thomas More Society, a Chicago-based public interest law firm, together with Florida attorney Frederick Nelson of Orlando’s American Liberties Institute, have joined forces to demand that the City of Kissimmee, Florida, cease harassing peaceful pro-life protesters by ordering that they either comply with an alleged permit requirement, that is both unwritten and unconstitutional, or else face arrest for picketing and prayer vigils on the public sidewalk in Kissimmee, next to the proposed site of a new Planned Parenthood abortion facility.
“The
First Amendment guarantees the rights of individuals to gather
peacefully on the public sidewalk to express their peaceable and
profound moral opposition to the grave evil of abortion” said Tom
Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Chicago-based Thomas More
Society. “The police are blatantly violating the First Amendment when
they threaten to arrest a small, peaceful gathering of individuals for
praying on the public sidewalk because they do not have a permit—a
permit which is plainly not required by any city ordinance, for which
the police department has no forms or guidelines, and which, even if
purportedly required by written ordinance, would constitute an
impermissible prior restraint on speech and flout the First Amendment
rights of our pro-life clients.”
Upon
finding out that Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion
provider, would be moving into a former OB-GYN’s office, local pro-life
activists mobilized to begin a peaceful prayer campaign on the public
sidewalk in front of the building. On Friday, March 28, 2014, Karen
Perry walked along the public sidewalk, alone, holding a sign opposing
the new facility. She was approached by three police officers who told
her that if she did not obtain an event permit she would be placed under
arrest. But that same afternoon, when Karen tried to obtain this
alleged permit the police could not figure out what type of permit she
should apply for. In the end Karen was told to write a letter to the
police each and every time she or anyone else in her group planned to
pray or picket in front of the facility. She was then told the Police
Chief was not in that day and she should come back Monday to see him
personally.
The
next day, Saturday, March 29, 2014, a group of about 15 adults and 10
children gathered in front of the proposed abortion facility. Police
immediately approached the group and again informed them that if they
did not obtain a permit they would be placed under arrest.
“The City of Kissimmee must respect the rights of pro-life individuals to engage in lawful public protest,” said Rick
Nelson of the American Liberties Institute, based in Orlando, Florida.
“We hope the city will agree that the policy they have stated is
unconstitutional and they will stop demanding our clients obtain a
permit or otherwise get police permission prior to exercising their
First Amendment rights.”
“We
are deeply saddened that Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion
provider, is coming to Kissimmee,” said Karen Perry, a pro-life
activist who was threatened with arrest. “We will be gathering
regularly to peacefully pray in front of this clinic to emphasize to the
community the tragedy of abortion.”
The
pro-life activists plan to continue with their scheduled prayer vigil
tomorrow (Saturday, April 5), set to begin at 9 a.m. in front of the
future Planned Parenthood site.
Thomas
More Society and the American Liberties Institute have stated that they
will take the matter to federal court if Kissimmee fails to respect the
pro-lifers’ fundamental First Amendment rights.
Read the Thomas More Society letter to the City of Kissimmee, here. [http://www.scribd.com/doc/
To interview Thomas More Society attorneys, contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net
Onsite contacts for April 5 prayer vigil: Karen Perry, 407-873-6891, or John Littell, M.D., 321-443-7682
About the Thomas More Society
Thomas
More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm that exists to
restore respect in law for life, marriage, and religious liberty.
Headquartered in Chicago, the Society fosters support for these causes
by providing high quality pro-bono professional legal services from
local trial courts all the way to the United States Supreme Court. www.thomasmoresociety.org
