LeRoy Carhart arrives at the Germantown Reproductive Health Services abortion center today to start doing late abortions there, and he is facing greeting from pro-life protestors.
Carhart runs an abortion business in Nebraska that includes second-term abortions, but he looked for someplace else to do them following the passage of a fetal pain law that bans abortions after 20 weeks based on the pain unborn children experience.
The abortion center, located in a suburb of the nation’s capital, hired Carhart to do second-trimester abortions.
Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, told LifeNews.com today a major prayer vigil and pro-life witness is planned for Carhart’s first day of business.
Pro-life activists, local clergy and the faith community will gather in large numbers to affirm human rights for all and speak out against violence and the barbaric practice of late-term abortion, he said.
“We are gathering on Monday to be a loud and prophetic witness for the dignity of life and human rights. We want to make it abundantly clear that we will prayerfully work to ensure that Maryland does not become the late-term abortion capital of America,” he said.
“We also want to send a clear message to LeRoy Carhart that we will never be silent while women are being brutalized and innocent viable children are being killed,” he added. “We will pray, march, rally and be a prophetic voice until the violence stops.”
Participants will not be allowed into the private business park where the abortion center is located or the parking lot in front of it.
Vicki Saporta, the president of the National Abortion Federation, a abortion business trade group, lashed out at the peaceful pro-life advocates in comments to the Washington Post and accused them of planning to engage in illegal activities.
“We are very concerned about security, as we would be any time anti-choice extremists are targeting a particular physician or facility,” she said. “We want to make sure that no criminal activity takes place outside the facility or is aimed at any of the staff or patients.”
She said Carhart plans to travel “regularly” between Nebraska and Maryland to do the abortions.
Local business owners told the Post they’re not happy about Carhart coming to town.
Dentist Leslie Sabo, whose office faces the sidewalk where pro-life advocates can gather, said he was concerned about “the type of notoriety” associated with Carhart.
The demonstration and prayer vigil will begin at 11:00 a.m. and pro-life advocates will hold a news conference shortly thereafter to discuss an ongoing public campaign at the abortion center for as long as Carhart does abortions there.
Mahoney apologized to the other businesses in the business park that will have to put up with the presence of pro-life advocates outside the abortion center.
“To the other tenants in the business park we simply say; we will be a constant public presence and witness for life as we embrace justice for all. LeRoy Carhart’s business home has now become our home,” he added.
He said the public opposition is needed so Maryland doesn’t become the “late-term abortion capital of America.”
