Aurora, IL (LifeNews.com) -- The Planned Parenthood abortion center in Aurora, Illinois if fighting back after a massive protest over its building a secret abortion center there. The outcry has been so strong that thousands of local residents have attended protests and meetings with local officials, who are looking into the construction process.Pro-life advocates have asked officials to prevent the abortion center from opening.
They want Mayor Tom Weisner to complete an investigation into whether or not it followed the law in approving Planned Parenthood's application, even though it didn't use its name during the approval process.
The Aurora city council last Tuesday saw more than 100 pro-life people pack the city hall to tell members of the council they don't appreciate Planned Parenthood secretly building a monstrous abortion center in their community.
Planned Parenthood has begun to fight back.
Its officials have launched a new public relations campaign saying they have been truthful during the building process and sent letters to members of the city council and Mayor Weisner to that effect.
However, the new building was constructed under the name "Gemini Medical Office Building" and it wasn't until a contractor familiar with the construction tipped off pro-life advocates that anyone knew Planned Parenthood's plans.
Steve Trombley, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area, has admitted his group attempted to pull the wool over the public's eyes.
He admitted to the Chicago Tribune, "Frankly, I'm surprised we were able to keep it a secret for so long."
"We didn't want anything to interfere with the opening ... and, at this point, I don't anticipate anything will stop that from happening," he said. "We want to introduce ourselves to the community ... rather than be defined by our adversaries."
He accused local pro-life advocates of engaging in violence and pointed to the need to protect the facility from that as another reason for keeping it shrouded in secrecy.
"We certainly kept the building of this facility private in an effort not to alert our opposition, who have a history of criminal behavior," Trombley said. "That is different than their allegation that we defrauded the city."
Pro-Life Action League spokesman Eric Scheidler told the newspaper Trombley is misleading people about his group.
"It's terribly unfortunate Planned Parenthood has gone so far as to accuse the fine citizens of Aurora and Naperville … of being violent and radical," he said. "We're just regular people. Most (supporters) have never done anything activist before."
The abortion business is also purchasing newspaper ads and passing out t-shirts, signs and bumper stickers to generate public support.
Trombley talked with the Daily Herald newspaper about the new tactics.
"Our concern was people were reaching conclusions without hearing all the facts," he said.
He said the focus will be promoting contraception services that Planned Parenthood provides, in an attempt to downplay its abortion business.
"We believe the preventive services this health center will provide will do more in one day to prevent abortion than our opponents will do in a lifetime," he claimed.
The city is continuing the probe into the paperwork that allowed the abortion facility to be built. An outside attorney is slated to have that review completed on September 17, one day before the abortion business plans to open.
