Pro-Life Activists Ousted by Police
— Posted by John (July 9, 2006 at 6:48 pm)

A report from the first day of the Pro-Life Action League’s 2006 Face the Truth Tour:
For the first time in the seven years the Pro-Life Action League has been conducting Face the Truth Tours, the pro-life demonstrators were forced to remove their display from the public square by local police. On Saturday, July 8, the first day of the League’s 2006 Tour, police shut down the Tour display in the village of Mundelein, IL, threatening massive arrests if the group did not disband.
The Mundelein Police appeared shortly after the Tour group began their planned 90-minute stint [at Town Line Road and Lake Street], demanding that the group remove their signs and leave the village immediately, insisting a permit was required for any “public assembly.” Tour Captain Eric Scheidler attempted to convince the police to respect the group’s First Amendment right to peacefully protest abortion, and asked for a copy of the ordinance of which the group was allegedly in violation. The [police] could not show Scheidler the ordinance, nor even immediately cite it.
Massive Arrests Threatened
Police from Vernon Hills, Libertyville and several other neighboring communities had begun to appear on the scene to assist the Mundelein police in arresting the entire group of 75 pro-life activists.
Rather than jeopardize the entire summer Truth Tour—a real possibility if Mundelein police impounded the group’s signs—Scheidler finally made the decision to end the demonstration early when it became clear that police were about begin making arrests. However, he was able to keep the display in place for about half the allotted time while talking to police.
Village of Mundelein To Face Lawsuit
Scheidler and the other Tour Coordinators then scrambled to suspend the protest, which was spread out several blocks in all four directions. As they loaded the signs into their vans under the eye of the increasingly impatient police, League Director Joe Scheidler led the large group of volunteers in singing patriotic songs and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Even before the Tour site was cut short, Eric Scheidler had been in contact with League attorney Thomas Brejcha about the situation. Next week, Brejcha will begin legal proceedings against the Village of Mundelein for violating the pro-lifers’ First Amendment rights with its unconstitutional and ambiguously worded ordinance—which, incidentally, was not enforced against a group of highschool cheerleaders which had assembled to conduct a fundraising carwash at the same corner.
No Trouble at Morning and Afternoon Sites
The hostility of the Mundelein police stood in stark contrast to the cooperation and respect with which the Tour group was treated by police in Libertyville that morning. Police in Barrington, the afternoon site, did not stop to talk to the group. The Truth Tour resumes Monday, July 10, with three sites in Rockford, IL.
More details and pictures are available at the Pro-Life Action League’s website.
This entry is filed under Abortion, The Front Lines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.





Mike says:
Wow that’s a shame that our 1st amendment rights were violated. I think after the 2006 Summer Tour is over a second tour should be scheduled for Mundelein, Vernon Hills, Libertyville and several other neighboring communities for a week in each town!
Mike
Comment posted July 9th, 2006 at 7:55 pm
Mike says:
Isn’t it the Chicago North suburbs where the police have no problems with the Klu Klux Klan when they hold their annual rally? What a coincidence! Now I am totally convinced the Abortion Industry is accomplishing things the Klu Klux Klan could only dream about.
——-
What the Klu Klux Klan Could Only Dream About The Abortion Industry Is Accomplishing.
Have you seen this website?
http://www.klanparenthood.com/
In America today, almost as many African-American children are aborted as are born.
A black baby is three times more likely to be murdered in the womb than a white baby.
Since 1973, abortion has reduced the black population by over 25 percent.
Twice as many African-Americans have died from abortion than have died from AIDS, accidents, violent crimes, cancer, and heart disease combined.
Every three days, more African-Americans are killed by abortion than have been killed by the Ku Klux Klan in its entire history.
Planned Parenthood operates the nation’s largest chain of abortion clinics and almost 80 percent of its facilities are located in minority neighborhoods.
About 13 percent of American women are black, but they submit to over 35 percent of the abortions.
Mike
Comment posted July 9th, 2006 at 8:28 pm
lauren says:
As much as I hate your message, the most disgusting of messages should be protected.. I wish you great amounts of luck in your battle. The first amendment is our greatest right.
Comment posted July 10th, 2006 at 1:44 am
mary kay says:
Thank you Lauren. That shows real class. I was there on Saturday and it was awful. I felt like I was behind the iron curtain!
Mary Kay
Comment posted July 10th, 2006 at 6:44 am
Pansy Moss says:
This is terrible. I hope you get the justice you seek.
INcidentally (not that I would wish this on anyone), what would have happened if people were arrested simply on the account of the police’s bigotry as opposed to real reason?
Comment posted July 10th, 2006 at 10:12 am
lauren says:
I dont understand your question pansy.
Did you see me in the Southtown on Sunday?
Comment posted July 10th, 2006 at 10:24 am
Pansy Moss says:
I dont understand your question pansy.
If their being there was not illegal, the arresting them might have caused more negative pubilicity (or just publicity to the caise in general) police station than simply allowing the protest. And also lawsuits.
Comment posted July 10th, 2006 at 12:02 pm
Lauren, lauren, lauren says:
I personally would not have left.. I would’ve held my ground…. Certainly gets more publicity, indeed.
Comment posted July 10th, 2006 at 1:47 pm
joe says:
“However, he was able to keep the display in place for about half the allotted time while talking to police.”
Nice!
Pro-Lifers need to start making money the same way the ACLU makes thier money, by suing everyone who gets in their way.
I hope the league wins a few million.
Also… Mike – Thanks for the http://www.klanparenthood.com link. It is definately worth forwarding.
Joe
Comment posted July 10th, 2006 at 8:53 pm
lauren says:
I dont think they deserve money because that comes out oftaxpayer dollars… they do deserve some sort of apology and the officers need first amendment training.
As for the ACLU, the ACLU would take up this case, and the ACLU doesnt take cases to make money as they are non-profit.. But it’s ok, I expect you to tout the right-wing hatred of ACLU…. someone listens to bill o’reilly too much… The ACLU gives you the ability to even talk on a blog like this
Comment posted July 10th, 2006 at 11:02 pm
Pansy Moss says:
Bill O’Reilly isn’t very Conservative, or whatever he is supposed to represent to us from your perspective. He is just annoying.
Comment posted July 10th, 2006 at 11:30 pm
lauren says:
Bill O’Reilly, coming from a moderate/liberal, is extremely conservative. If you’re further right than him, then well you’re very very conservative.
Comment posted July 11th, 2006 at 11:29 am
Pansy Moss says:
That’s not what I meant. I (like many pro-life people I associate with) do not determine what we believe and what we don’t believe in by Bill O’Reilly or some abstract “conservative” check-list. I don’t really care if I am labeled conservative, liberal, right, left, all or none of the above.
Regardless of Bill O’Reilly’s annoying opinions, the ACLU may have been a good organisation at one time, but now they are just a b$%tch of the third wave feminist movement who does not stand for what they used to.
As for being “far, far right” I really am not sure what that means. Bill O’ Reilly is proabortion, contraception and anti-abstinence teaching in schools.
I am pro-life-anti-abortion, anti-contraception, anti-euthanasia, which is conservative, but I am also anti-death penalty and against war or war practices that are not just-liberal. (They are all the same issue).
I am anti-capitalism (liberal?) as well as anti-communism and anti-socialism (conservative?). I believe in fair wages for every man (pro-life) and that every different kind of work be it a doctor or garbage man serves an important place in society.
I think welfare is a joke because I don’t think it really helps people but imprisons them, but I think a government needs to help those who need help. No child should go hungry. I just think the way the welfare system does it is wrong and lacking in compassion.(I do’t know).
I don’t believe poverty in and of itself is a disease and a sign of a weak character (as Mr. O’Reilly does). I think laziness is a sign of a weak character. But I see companies where men work 50 hours a week and bring home $200-$300.
I am pro-marriage. I think it is a necessary institution between a man and a woman not only religiously, but morally and structurally to dictate relationships to people for not only the benefit of the man and woman, but most especially the children. I don’t believe in gay marriage, not because of some imaginary disdain for gay people, I have had many gay people in my life whom I loved, but because it is not marriage. My favorite neighborhoods in cities have been gay neighborhoods, and we are looking to return to one in Albany. Still, support for families is like swimming upstream in this culture, and we need to keep what institutions we have to see children are raised as well as possible (conservative). I feel the exact same way about cohabitation. Again, it is not to shun my friends who cohabitate, I think they are selling themselves short.
My last job was working at a health food store, we are what you call “granola” or “crunchy” (liberal). I spent my last two years living in a very rural area (conservative I guess), off-grid, composting our trash, growing our own vegetables, chopping wood for our own heat supply (liberal).
I am not pro-hand guns, but I have no problem with people hunting.
Comment posted July 11th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
Mike says:
Bill O’Reilly started out conservative when his show first came out years ago. The past couple of years he’s all over the board from liberal to conservative depending on the topic. O’Reilly is unpredictable.
Most people think Fox News channel is conservative but the only conservative I see on the station is Sean Hannity and many conservatives would say he has flaws representing conservatives.
I don’t like to paint pictures between conservatives and liberals. I’m Catholic and I vote on the teachings of the Church, not liberal or conservative nor democrat or republican.
Mike
Comment posted July 11th, 2006 at 8:55 pm
Pansy Moss says:
I don’t like to paint pictures between conservatives and liberals. I’m Catholic and I vote on the teachings of the Church, not liberal or conservative nor democrat or republican.
I never feel like there is a candidate that truly represents me. Many of my Catholic friends feel the same way. If you read Catholic and Enjoying It, Mark Shea always talks about “the evil party” and “the stupid party”.
I just get tired of the abortion debates where I get labeled hardline “conservative”, when like you said, I go along with the teachings of the Church, many of which are by someone’s standards conservative, and by someone else’s, liberal.
Bill O’Reilly started out conservative when his show first came out years ago. The past couple of years he’s all over the board from liberal to conservative depending on the topic. O’Reilly is unpredictable.
I tried to read one of his books once (No Spin Zone) and ended up throwing it across the room midway through.
Comment posted July 11th, 2006 at 9:11 pm
Lucy says:
Not that the demonstration should have been stopped, but do you know how the police came to intervene? Meaning who complained.
Comment posted July 11th, 2006 at 11:54 pm
Mike says:
Mark Shea will be giving a talk on Friday at 7PM…
at Sacred Heart Parish in Lombard, IL. All are welcome!
Comment posted July 12th, 2006 at 8:21 pm
Joe says:
Apparently those police officers have never heard of “freedom of expression” or freedom of assembly”
Comment posted July 13th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Phil says:
Pansy – you’re moving to Albany? I’m from near there (until I moved to VA), across the river in the Taconics.
Comment posted July 14th, 2006 at 2:08 am
Pansy Moss says:
Pansy – you’re moving to Albany? I’m from near there (until I moved to VA), across the river in the Taconics.
We live in upstate NY, in Amsterdam. We started house hunting some time ago, and I am torn as I love extreme rural living, or urban living (just not thrilled with suburbs, no reason, just “me”), we were looking at houses in the Lark St. neighborhood of Albany, which is something of a smaller, toned down East Village.
The Taconics are more downstate correct? Like Rockland county, or Westchester? We are originally from NYC, but most of my family lives in Westchester. How does NY compare to Va.? My father lived in Alexandria for a year, as his job was down there. He commuted. He rented an apartment during the week and came home to Albany every weekend. He got sick a year ago, so he stopped for now.
Comment posted July 14th, 2006 at 6:25 am
Mike says:
July 15, 2006
Liberal columnist has second thoughts?
Liberal Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg wrote a fasinating column yesterday, after stumbling on two of Pro-Life Action League’s graphic signs displays in downtown Chicago during the course of one depressing day. Last paragraph:
That’s the problem with the whole conflict. There’s no balance. On one side you’ve got guys like Joe Scheidler, practically a biblical figure, John Brown holding a staff and spreading his arms over bleeding Kansas. On the other, you have bland rationality under the by-definition indecisive banner of “choice” (hmmm, which one, let’s see …) afraid to give their names and lacking anywhere near the passion their opponents possess. It hardly seems a fair fight.
Read entire column on page 2.
Continue reading “Liberal columnist has second thoughts?”
http://www.suntimes.com/output/steinberg/cst-nws-stein14.html#
Comment posted July 15th, 2006 at 6:00 pm
Lucy says:
Mike,
Yes, it is true, the Pro-Choicers do seem to have fallen asleep on the job. We so often forget that ‘Freedom is not Free’ and that people that oppose Liberty and the value of one man to live his own life are always there, seeking to devalue people and turn them into nothing. It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that freedom is wrong. It never ceases to amaze me that people are always in favor of tyrannies and dictatorships. Of course, they are in favor as long as they are the Tryant or the Dictatorship.
“Of all the Tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst; every other species of tyranny is limited to the world we live in; but this attemtps to stride beyond the grave, and seeks to pursue us into eternity.” Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason.
I personally do not feel that it is a bland fight to defend our rights to not answer to Tyrants. Enough men and women have laid down their lives against your agenda to Rule the world via Religion. This was supposed to be the place where it couldn’t happen. Of course, that bubble doesn’t exist. When the White House is Infiltrated the Constitution gets disregarded for a book of autrocities. America isn’t a Christian country. It is against all logic that it would be. It defies Christianity in fact. The founding fathers were not Christians. Deists. They valued science. Real Science. Not the nonsense that you guys keep spewing in hopes that it will go undetected. I mean come on, Science says that you need a brain to die but not to live? That’s not science. That having the brain not function, period, isn’t enough to declare death. Come on.
You’re right. We’ve slacked. Thanks for reminding us.
It isn’t a fair fight. It just isn’t quite what you think.
Comment posted July 15th, 2006 at 6:45 pm
Quinn says:
We need the pro-aborts and abortaholics to show up at our demonstrations because when they do they make us look SOOOO much better than we do when we’re out there by ourselves
Comment posted July 16th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
Pansy Moss says:
How was Mark Shea?
Comment posted July 16th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
Lucy says:
Quinn,
You want to kill people who support abortion. You think people who support abortion should go anywhere near you?
Comment posted July 17th, 2006 at 12:23 pm
Generations for Life » Blog Archive » Us and Them says:
[...] After the Mundelein incident, the rest of our Face the Truth Tour went well. The only other real problem we encountered was a disagreement with a Cook County law enforcement officer who tried telling us we were “advertising”, and as such, weren’t allowed to display graphic abortion signs on the Chicago streets adjacent to forest preserve property. [...]
Comment posted July 17th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
Pansy Moss says:
Quinn,
You want to kill people who support abortion. You think people who support abortion should go anywhere near you?
Where did he say that?
Comment posted July 17th, 2006 at 5:54 pm
Lucy says:
Pansy,
Yes, he’s objecting to that isn’t he. He is screaming, no, not I, I don’t want to kill the abortionists. You’re right, his objections to my having called him out on it are deafening. He did in fact say it. He did in fact say that he believes that essentially anyone who feels that abortion is acceptable should die.
Somehow, the kind of individual who would betray such information about themselves is more than likely not going to be in a hurry to recant. That, or he says such things so flippantly that he’ll simply deny it. I assure you it is there. It is in response to a series of questions that Lauren posted a couple months ago.
Comment posted July 20th, 2006 at 11:01 pm
Pansy Moss says:
You’re right, his objections to my having called him out on it are deafening. He did in fact say it.
I didn’t say anything except “where did he say that?”
I would think that if your life is being threatened here
1. You would not want to continue to be here.
2. You would call the authorities.
3. The very least, the moderators would ban someone on here making death threats.
If I was at a pro-choice forum and someone started making death threats, I would be outta there so fast. Don’t pass go, don’t look back.
There is a huge world of difference between disagreeing with someone’s POV in a debate and jumping to making death threats. That goes for the party making the threats and it especially goes for people making accusations that are innaccurate because you will destroy someone’s life simply because you are ticked off they don’t agree with you. I hope you choose your words very carefully keeping in mind all your talk about liberty and freedom because crying wolf when you want things to go your way is also abuse of that gift.
Comment posted July 21st, 2006 at 3:08 am
John says:
Lucy said: “Not that the demonstration should have been stopped, but do you know how the police came to intervene? Meaning who complained.”
Lucy,
One officer (a sergeant) approached me while I was setting people up at their positions and told me that the police had shown up in response to several 911 calls that were placed “immediately” after we started setting up our signs.
A few other officers approached Eric and, I suspect, told him the same thing.
Comment posted July 21st, 2006 at 11:51 am
Lucy says:
Pansy Moss,
Anything else you’d like to add?
Quinn says:
I stand by my initial impression of Lauren which is that she is a 16 year-old high school girl that likes to act as if she is intelligent without providing the evidence of intelligence through her arguments.
I’ll answer your first and second list of questions succinctly and without any further elaboration.
1. Do you think abortion should be outlawed? YES
2. Do you think abortion should be criminalized? YES
3. If so, what penalty and to whom? EXECUTION FOR ANYONE WHO HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE MURDER OF THAT CHILD AND FOR ANYONE WHO PUBLICLY PROMOTES ABORTION OR THE KILLING OF ANY INNOCENT PERSON
4. Should birth control be outlawed? If you only think certain kinds, tell. YES. WILL DO MORE RESEARCH TO DISCOVER IF ANY KINDS OF BIRTH CONTROL ARE SAFE ENOUGH TO USE
5. Do you think all women regret their abortions? ALL WOMEN WITH A WORKING CONSCIENCE DO
6. Do you think public schools should be able to provide both kinds of sex education, abstinence and comprehensive protective information? NO. PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHOULD NOT EXIST.
7. Describe Planned Parenthood. AIDS TO CHILD SEX PREDATORS/RAPISTS. HEAR PP HELP RAPISTS TO AVOID GETTING CAUGHT BY LISTENING TO THESE 93 RECORDED PHONE CALLS http://traditionalvalues.org/1/pph/index2.php
8. What is a woman’s natural instinct? THAT ASSUMES THAT PEOPLE ARE INSTINCTIVE. ASSUMING YOU ARE REFERRING TO A MOTHER’S NATURAL INSTINCT IT IS TO PROTECT AND CARE FOR HER BABY
9. Abortion for rape and/or incest? Do you believe in parental and spousal notification in all circumstances? PARENTAL CONSENT IS WRONG BECAUSE THAT LAW ENDS WITH “AND THEN YOU CAN KILL YOUR BABY”. ANY LAW THAT ENDS LIKE THAT IS A BAD LAW. KILLING AN INNOCENT BABY BECAUSE THEIR FATHER COMMITTED A CRIME IS WRONG. NO CHILD IS TO BE PUNISHED BECAUSE OF THE CRIME ONE PARENT COMMITTED. ITS TOTALLY UNJUST TO PUNISH A CHILD FOR THEIR FATHER’S CRIME.
10. Do you believe that the separation of church and state exists historically? Why or why not? Despite whether it does or does not exist, do you believe that it should or shouldn’t? I DON’T GIVE A RIP ABOUT THIS PHRASE THAT LIBERAL GOD-HATERS USE. THIS PHRASE IS PRESENTLY WRONGLY APPLIED (CONTRARY TO JEFFERSON’S USAGE) ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY AS A WEAPON AGAINST CHRISTIANS. I WANT AND PROMOTE A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY. DEMOCRACIES AND REPUBLICS ARE AMORAL AT BEST AND IMMORAL AT WORST AS THE RECENT PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS DEMONSTRATED. SEE A MUCH BETTER CONSTITUTION FOR AMERICA HERE http://www.shadowgov.com
what would you do if your daughter had an abortion and didnt regret it? FIRST, WE WOULD KNOW SHE IS LYING AND THAT SHE REGRETS HER ABORTION TO SOME EXTENT. SINCE WE HELPED TO FORM HER CONSCIENCE WELL IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO REGRET HAVING MURDERED HER CHILD. AND SECONDLY, WE WOULD DISFELLOWSHIP HER SO THAT SHE WOULD FEEL COMPELLED TO REPENT AND ASK GOD AND US FOR FORGIVENESS AS THE APOSTLE PAUL TAUGHT US TO RESPOND TO THE UNREPENTANT SEXUALLY IMMORAL IN 1 COR 5
what would you [DO IF YOU] found birth control pills in your daughter’s purse? THROW THEM AWAY AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERY MOMENT OVER THE NEXT 6 MONTHS SHE HAD A PARENT OR TRUSTED FRIEND SUPERVISING HER.
what would you do if you found out one of your children was gay? FIND OUT WHICH HOMO-PEDOPHILE MOLESTED HIM AND HAVE HIM CONVICTED (IF THEY CAN RECALL WHO IT WAS) BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO SO-CALLED GAY MEN THEY REPRODUCE BY MOLESTING CHILDREN. AND I WOULD ALSO GET HIM INTO COUNSELING WITH A PSYCHIATRIST WHO IS AFFILIATED WITH NARTH http://www.narth.com
Would you and your father hate them? Would you send them away? WE WOULD GIVE THE MOST LOVING AND CARING TREATMENT AVAILABLE WHICH IS WHAT I DESCRIBED ABOVE
Comment posted July 22nd, 2006 at 9:00 pm
Lucy says:
John,
There are places that require that proper forms be filled out saying you will be there. They are supposed to be mere formalities and are usually for the purposes of providing opportunities to increase security if needed. Is it possible that it was a situation like that, or that the calls were in fact due to the girls being present? Not the girls prescence matters of course.
Like I said, I don’t like what you guys are saying, but that isn’t important. I don’t like a lot of things, I don’t like some books that are out, I have found a few movies that are out offensive to human intelligence, I’m not particularly thrilled with some of Peta’s antics, and frankly I’m not thrilled with everything that Planned Parenthood is doing. However, if the door to disagreement is not left open, and the freedom of expression, then we will never learn and never grow.
I don’t have to like what you have to say. I am firmly of the opinion that every woman must make this decision for themselves. I am also firmly of the impression that each and every woman must look at what is presented to her and assess it for herself. You may very well sway some women who would have otherwise had an abortion to not. I’ve seen the stuff you walk around with. If that is all it takes to sway their decision they probably shouldn’t have had one anyway. It would be like getting a tattoo if you faint at the site of needles.
Comment posted July 22nd, 2006 at 9:12 pm
Pansy Moss says:
Lucy,
I thought you were infering that Quinn was making vigilante death threats against pro-choicers, not extreme political views in regards to crime and punishment if hypothetically the laws were different. I stand corrected.
Comment posted July 26th, 2006 at 6:18 pm