Pro-abortion and anti-abortion protestors held dueling\ rallies in the past days (and will continue to do so in the coming days) over the last abortion clinic in Kentucky. The only clinic that provides abortion in Kentucky is on the brink of closing down making the state the first ever to have zero abortion clinics.
The clinic, located in Louisville and identified as EMW Women’s Surgical Center, reportedly lacked some of the requirements needed in order to operate an abortion clinic. It is licensed and has maintained a relationship with a hospital in case of emergency.
This has been the set-up for years but in March, the state said the clinic did not meet some of the standards so it might be closed down for good in the future. The state also threatened to revoke the clinic’s license and without it, it would no longer be able to operate, CBS News reported.
Kentucky Governor supports shut down
Republican Governor Matt Bevin expressed support for the protesters who want to shut the last abortion clinic down. According to ABC News, Bevin said in a statement that Kentucky is a pro-life state and the vast majority of its citizens “value the sanctity of human life and want to protect it to the absolute degree possible.” KMOV also reported that since GOP took control of the local government, it passed many restrictions linked to abortions making it all the more difficult for the clinic to fight the threat that the state will revoke their license.
Earlier this year, two bills linked to abortion were signed by Bevin. One pertained to banning the termination of a pregnancy if the woman is already more than 20 weeks pregnant. The other bill required doctors to perform an ultrasound and show the images of the fetus to the woman who wants an abortion before she gives her final decision.
These were challenged by the clinic and a September trial will soon take place over the matter.
Clinic’s co-founder releases statement
The co-founder of the EMW Women’s Surgical Center, Dr. Ernest Marshall, said that they never questioned in the past whether or not they would continue to exist. He pointed out that this is the first time they have been under such a siege that threatens their existence in the state.
He also slammed the protesters saying that their tactics are very harassing and judgmental since they compared abortion to the Holocaust. The protesters also held signs that called doctors who provide abortion as murderers. Marshall said he believes Jesus himself would not harass people or name-call others who oppose his views.
Operation Save America, a Christian fundamentalist group, is set to deploy hundreds of activists against the clinic in an attempt to urge them to shut down even before legal matters are sought. The group is not allowed to protest right in front of the clinic per a federal judge’s order to avoid blocking individuals from accessing it. Volunteers have gone to the clinic to usher patients past the protesters.
