http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/local/crime_courts/8940940.htm

Posted on Thu, Jun. 17, 2004

Police arrest 12 at abortion clinic

BY HURST LAVIANA
The Wichita Eagle

Wichita police arrested 12 people Wednesday after they walked onto the parking lot of an east Wichita abortion clinic and refused to leave.

Police Capt. Gary Tabor said the 10 men and two women were among a group of abortion opponents who had gathered at the Women's Health Care Services, 5101 E. Kellogg, over the lunch hour. He said most of those arrested were regular demonstrators at the clinic who decided Wednesday to walk onto the parking lot.

"We're not pro-choice; we're not pro-life," Tabor said. "We're unbiased.

"For some reason today, they decided to push the envelope, and we can't allow that."

Tabor said the 12 were booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on trespassing charges. He said several also were charged with resisting arrest after they failed to follow officers' orders to put their hands behind their backs.

Kip Bloss, a spokesman for the group, said those who were arrested decided to "draw a line in the sand" on Wednesday by getting arrested. He said there was no significance to the timing.

"There's no special reason other than that God called us here today," he said.

Donna Lippoldt, administrator of Wichita 's Operation Save America office, said arrests at the clinic have been rare since 1991, when hundreds of arrests were made in a series of protests that abortion opponents called the "Summer of Mercy."

"There have been occasional arrests, but there has not been a group arrest since 1991," she said.

Lippholdt said the 12 people who were arrested Wednesday included pastors and members of six Christian churches in the Wichita area.

Fewer than half of those arrested had been released by 7 p.m. Wednesday, when about 30 people gathered in front of Sedgwick County Jail to show their support.

The group sang, danced and prayed as they waited for others to be released.

Donnie Halbgewachs, who was one of the first released, said he participated as a way to show his beliefs.

"If pastors won't stand up, why should politicians stand up?" he said.

Julie Burkhart, an abortion rights advocate and spokeswoman for the Wichita Women's Center, said she thought the arrests were appropriate for people who walked onto the clinic property.

"We believe that their conduct was illegal and probably in violation of federal law," Burkhart said. "We appreciate local authorities' expedient handling of this situation."

Burkhart was referring to a 1994 federal law that makes it illegal to block access to clinics where abortions are performed. The law also makes it illegal to intimidate workers at the clinics or women seeking abortions.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Wichita said federal prosecutors had not been approached about the case and could not comment on the arrests.

A woman who answered the phone at Women's Health Care Services said clinic officials did not want to comment on the arrests.

Reach Hurst Laviana at 268-6499 or hlaviana@wichitaeagle.com.