Laserfiche WebLink
The National Abortion Federation (NAF), the professional association of abortion <br /> providers in North America, works closely with law enforcement to protect <br /> providers and patients from anti-abortion violence. In 2016, NAF reported that <br /> "providers experienced an increase in a wide range of intimidation tactics meant to <br /> disrupt the provision of health care at facilities, including vandalism, picketing, <br /> obstruction, invasion, trespassing, burglary, stalking, assault and battery, and <br /> bomb threats"'. Nationwide, NAF recorded 61,562 reported incidents of clinic <br /> picketing in 2016, the most since they began tracking in 1977. Whole Woman's <br /> Health and Planned Parenthood are a members of NAF, the Women's Care Centers <br /> do not qualify. <br /> The legal remedy for most OBGYN clinics to secure the safety of their patients is <br /> through buffer zone laws, ordinances, or injunctions. Buffer zone laws protect <br /> patients by limiting how close demonstrators are allowed to be to a facility. Indiana <br /> does not have any buffer zone laws to protect OBYGN clinics, neither does <br /> Kentucky. The work to define and establish safe permitters around OBGYN clinics <br /> is left to local law enforcement and clinic managers. <br /> EMW Women's Surgical Center in Kentucky made national news this summer when <br /> this last OBGYN clinic with abortion services in the state was granted a restraining <br /> order from protestors under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE). <br /> BsideU For Life, which _ E <br /> offers the same limited <br /> services as Women's <br /> Care Centers, operates X I <br /> a main office five - I <br /> minutes from EMW <br /> .f <br /> Women's Surgical - <br /> Center and a satellite <br /> directly adjacent to the <br /> OBGYN clinic. In this r{r <br /> photo you can see <br /> protestors, law . _t <br /> enforcement, and clinic Protestors agains EMW Women's Surgical Center stand outside BsideU For <br /> Life while police enforce the buffer zone. <br /> escorts in a protest <br /> conflict zone extended <br /> outside the BsideU For <br /> Life office next to EMW. <br /> I National Abortion Federation,2016 Violence and Disruption Statistics <br /> Research Brief on 05-18 Tuesday, February 20, 2018 3 <br />