Harassment Isn't Protest

Clinic patient escorts see and endure behavior from anti-abortion "protesters" that isn’t normal, and that wouldn’t be allowed at any other place, much less any other medical facility.

This is a local physician, Dr. Coleman Boyd, a leader in the Christian fundamentalist hate group Operation Save America/Operation Rescue, peeking through the clinic’s fence, insulting a patient escort at Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Boyd was harassing a patient’s companion but was distracted by the escort, and that took his focus away from the companion. The companion left and went inside the clinic as Boyd attempted to address them again.

Smart engagement can make a positive difference for patients and their companions at clinics. But what would make a bigger difference would be if we as a culture spoke up and said this behavior by “protesters” at clinics is unacceptable. Protest isn’t yelling at patients, peeking through fences, or over fences at patients, and clinic escorts shouldn’t be necessary to make patients feel safe from harassment disguised as protest.

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