Arrested: Praying Outside An Abortion Mill, Protesters Falsely Accused For ‘Terror Threat’
Is it a crime in America for a woman to pray for the lives of the unborn on the sidewalk outside of an abortion clinic? Apparently four police officers in the Detroit area felt pro-life advocate Kimberly Thames’ First Amendment right to free speech was null and void. They, according to Life News, arrested her outside of a Westland, Michigan, abortion clinic.
Pro-life supporters have been growing in Michigan for years and in the midst of the increased efforts to protect the life of the unborn, Thames, a Roman Catholic was steadfast in her devotion. As she stood outside the clinic on Saturday, August 27, 2016, her weapons of choice was her rosary and a sign in defense of the unborn, according to Federal court records. How was this a disruption or a threat to anyone going into the abortion clinic?
It appears that the power of her prayers was overwhelming and even antagonistic to the Northland abortion clinic guard. She innocently mentioned to him that she was praying for him and the unborn babies. She added that she would pray that the guard would find another job.
When the pro-life protector left the outside area of the abortion clinic it appears that the guard, Robert Parsley, decided that he would put an end to her protests. He alleged that Thames had told him that there “would be bombings.” A 9-1-1 call was made by clinic employee to police Guilbernat, and stated, “We have protestors outside and one of them just made a statement that there’s going to be a bombing.”
The innocent protest of the unborn prayer supporter had suddenly turned into a false terrorist alert. Instead of returning to prayer vigilance, Kimberly Thames was arrested and was forced to spend the next forty-nine hours in the Westland jail. Is this fair? Of course not, and thanks to the efforts of The Thomas More Society, along with the American Freedom Law Center, a lawsuit was filed to hold the officers accountable for their rash and illegal actions.
Abortion clinics and their untrained security and office personnel should not be able to threaten innocent prayer warriors of the unborn. Certainly, police officers who respond to these fabricated terrorist threats must be held accountable. This is why Thames sued the city and the four police officers for violating her civil rights.
In Thames suit she charges the arresting officers with violation of her First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and free exercise of religion. She also emphasized in the suit that they subjected her to unlawful search and seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment, and denied her equal protection as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Fortunately, on April 20, Federal Judge George Caram Steeh ruled that there were substantial points of fact in her case which deserved to go before a jury for a decision. One of those material facts pointed out by the judge was the security guard’s ever-changing statements about alleged “bombing threats”, made by Thames.
Judi Lake, Executive Director of the American Christian Civil Rights Movement stressed, “This is a solid victory against the tyranny of abortion advocates who would use false claims and absolute lies to have pro-life supporters arrested, jailed and possibly imprisoned.” She added, “An illegal arrest against a pro-life advocate anywhere is an assault on all of us who stand for life everywhere!”
Tom Brejcha, of the Thomas More Society, Chicago, Illinois agrees. And explained that this was a victory for all pro-life advocates who have been persecuted because of their work on behalf of pre-born children and their mothers, according to Life News.
Image: CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/en/handcuffs-prisoners-woman-female-964522/