AURORA, August 22, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A huge new abortion clinic, said to be the largest Planned Parenthood Center in the United States, has been constructed near Chicago. In response Illinois pro-lifers have launched a major grass-roots campaign to prevent it from opening on its scheduled date this September.If the 22,000 square-foot, $7.5 million facility opens, it will offer contraceptives, pregnancy tests, sexually transmitted disease testing and abortions. Officials expect to receive 8,000 patients and 10,500 visits within the first year. Of those visits, reports the Chicago Daily Herald, about 2,400 will be for abortions.
Eric Schiedler, Communications Director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, described the overwhelmingly positive suppaort that the organization's efforts have received. He told LifeSiteNews.com that over the course of just ten days, hundreds of pro-lifers have added their support, vowing to prevent Planned Parenthood from entering Aurora.
City residents had no idea what was being constructed in the East side of Aurora, near Chicago. As Schiedler remarked in a recent report, "Planned Parenthood snuck into town." He added, "They were nearly finished building this place before we learned about it. We haven't got much time to stop them, but we're doing all we can."
Schiedler told LifeSiteNews.com that pro-lifers are calling for an investigation of the city council of Aurora into the fraudulent process by which Planned Parenthood came into the community. Planned Parenthood constructed the facility under another name, listing it as the "Gemini Medical Office Building.""Planned Parenthood knew what they were doing," Schielder said in a press release. "Pro-lifers have stymied them before when they knew Planned Parenthood was coming to town. This time they kept things quiet until it was too late to halt construction."
Schiedler told LifeSiteNews.com, "They lied to the city of Aurora…They let the city council believe it was going to be a quiet, medical office." According to the Beacon News, however, Steve Trombley, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area, said that the building would be the largest Planned Parenthood health center.
The pro-life community has launched a full-force grassroots effort to stop the clinic's opening. On August 9 they began the "40 Days for Life" praying, fasting and 24-hour vigil campaign with this intention. The largest "40 Days for Life" Campaign is scheduled to take place in cities across the nation starting on September 26 (See http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jul/07072602.html).
The Pro-Life Action League is also organizing a massive pro-life demonstration in front of the Planned Parenthood facility next Saturday morning, August 25 from 9 to 11 a.m.
Information about participation in the 24-hour prayer vigil outside the Aurora abortion clinic is available at: http://familiesagainstplannedparenthood.org/
More information on the Aurora pro-life campaign can be seen at:
http://www.prolifeaction.org/
