UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, July 15, 1992
7
Abortion protests hit Wichita again; police plan to get tough with arrests
The Associated Press
WICHITA, Kan. - Anti-abortion demonstrators blocked rush-hour traffic Monday morning, beginning what they said was the first day of a five-day protest at Wichita abortion clinics.
One man walked on busy fourlane Kellogg Street, also called U.S. 54, shortly before 7 a.m. waving a handful of anti-abortion literature. As he did, about 20 demonstrators began crawling on their hands and knees across the road toward the entrance of the George Tiller clinic.
Police, who have said they do not want a repeat of last year's abortion protest troubles, followed the demonstrators into the street. During the first hour, 48 demonstrators were arrested and rush-hour traffic was blocked for brief periods, said police
Capt. Norman Williams.
"They were arrested as soon as they crossed the snow fence; that's the line of demarcation," Steve Trainer, deputy police chief, said of the initial arrests. The fence was erected to create a buffer zone between demonstrators and the clinic.
The demonstrators recited prayers and carried signs that had such things as "auschwichita, Baby Killing Capital of the World," written on them.
The demonstrators likely will face charges of interfering with a lawful business, criminal trespass, impeding the flow of traffic and destruction of city property, Trainer said. The latter charge refers to damage done to snow fences.
Police announced Monday that they would ask courts to keep arrested protesters who do not post bond in jail to prevent them from returning to
clinics while awaiting trial.
"It's not going to be a cakewalk this year," Maj. Tyler Brewer said. "It's not fair to the taxpayers."
The plan is part of the get-tough tactics proposed recently by police and approved by city leaders to prevent a recurrence of last year's "Summer of Mercy" protests, in which some people were arrested as many as a dozen times, often more than once a day. During demonstrations sponsored last year in Wichita by Operation Rescue, about 1,700 people were arrested 2,657 times.
Brewer said police have asked the city attorney's office to set bonds of $2,000 to $3,000 and to refuse to release protesters on their own recognition.
Police also are asking for a minimum fine of $250 for the first offense and higher fines for additional offenses, and will ask that those who do not post bond be detained two to 10 days, he said.
Weslin and Michael Dodds, head of the Wichita Rescue Movement, said those arrested today were not likely to post bond.
There were about 100 police officers in the area of the clinic yesterday morning along with about 300 antiabortion demonstrators and 30 prochoice representatives. Traffic was moving in and out of the clinic, and a representative said the clinic was open and operating.
"Obviously, this morning the police did a superb job. All the patients who came to the clinic were able to get into the clinic," said John Cowles, lawyer for the operator of the clinic.
Police have switched to 12-hour shifts to ensure their are enough officers to monitor the clinics.
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