MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and the City Council approved an ordinance on Thursday that prohibits people from blocking access to or from reproductive health care facilities.
“Abortion rights are not truly a right for all women if there is no access,” said councilmember Lisa Goodman, in a statement “This ordinance helps ensure access to reproductive health care in Minneapolis.”
But anti-abortion groups like Pro-Life Action Ministries, claim the ordinance is an infringement on their First Amendment rights.
“It absolutely does concern us. Their clients are freely stopping to accept literature from us from the driveway,” said Thomas Wilkin, a spokesperson for PLAM.
The group has been organizing volunteers to stand near entrances to multiple Planned Parenthood locations and pass out anti-abortion pamphlets to people entering the clinics.
Planned Parenthood’s Uptown location has seen an uptick in protester activity, which endangers drivers and pedestrians outside of the clinic, the organization said in a statement.
“Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections in June, there has been an uptick in protester activity at abortion health centers. At the same time, Planned Parenthood saw a 13% increase in abortion patients from out of the region coming to Minnesota for care,” said Planned Parenthood North Central States in a release.
Wilkin said his organization hasn't finalized a legal strategy yet, but plans to continue distributing its pamphlets.
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