Picket at Albany Medical-Surgical Center [Photo by Sam Scheidler]
On Saturday, June 6, a crowd of more than 50 pro-lifers gathered outside Albany Medical-Surgical Center in Chicago to stand for the right to life of all unborn babies, and to highlight the late-term abortion facility’s ever-lengthening list of health code and other violations.
In response to complaints by the Pro-Life Action League, Albany has recently been the subject of inspections by the Illinois Department of Public Health which have revealed unsanitary conditions and health code violations that led to fines totaling $50,000 and the revocation of their license.
The revocation has been stayed pending an ongoing appeal process, and Albany continues to operate, but on Saturday it was far from business as usual.
A picket line flanked the front of the building with signs reading, “This Clinic’s License Revoked,” “Albany: Unsafe for Women” as well as “Stop Abortion Now, “Moms for Life” and “Dads for Life.”
Tombstones with the names of women killed at Albany [Photo by Sam Scheidler]
Photos of victims of abortion lined the streets approaching the clinic, and in front of their parking lot, four tombstones were staked in the ground comemmorating four of the women who have died during botched abortions at Albany over the years. One of those women, Deanna Bell, was only 13 years old when she died at the abortionist’s hands at this notorious facility.
Clinic staff and escorts harangued protesters with typical pro-choice insults and bromides as they marched and held their signs, but the pro-life crowd continued undeterred.
As the protest went on, several volunteers leafletted the neighborhood surrounding the clinic with fliers letting them know first of all that there is a late-term abortion facility in their neighborhood, and second about its horrible conditions and the sanctions it’s facing from the state. We also included a link so residents could get involved in the fight to close Albany down.
In the middle of the protest, League executive director Eric Scheidler shared some thoughts in a video posted to Facebook:
At the end of the protest, Eric shared information about the facility, about abortion in general, and about the women who had died from botched abortions, both for the gathered pro-lifers, and perhaps more importantly, for the escorts who stood silently by.
The next hearing concerning Albany’s fate takes place on June 29, so please keep the situation in your prayers. In the meantime, we at the Pro-Life Action League will continue to keep the pressure on and offer life-saving alternatives to their clients.
Additional Links
- Illinois Department of Public Health report on Albany [PDF]
- Pro-Life Action League report on Albany’s violations
- VIDEO: Chicago Abortion Clinic Loses License, Fined $50,000—and Pro-Choice Escorts Refuse to Look at the Evidence
- State targets Chicago abortion clinic’s license over building safety, Chicago Tribune
