Anti-abortion protestors arrested at south Fort Myers Planned Parenthood

Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published: Updated:
Planned parenthood in south Fort Myers. Credit: Google Maps

Nine people, including four children, protesting as part of an anti-abortion group were arrested Thursday morning after trying to enter the Planned Parenthood site in south Fort Myers.

According to Planned Parenthood, the group tried to enter the health center at 6418 Commerce Park Drive and blockaded the entrance from patients.

The protesters said it was like any other day. 
One called Planned Parenthood a “Murder mill,”
 but that kind of language is not unusual.

The woman who runs the health center told WINK News she thinks what made Thursday different, is what’s happening in Tallahassee the same afternoon.

Dr. Nixon Cesar Lead Pastor at Christian Faith Fellowship, said, “Standing against abortion is a civil right and we have the responsibility, the obligation, morally, and spiritually to stand and fight against it and make a statement.”

Stephanie Fraim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood SWFL said, “We’ve never had them actually invade our property and intimidate the staff that way. And really, they swarmed our patients in order to prevent them from coming in.”

“I would imagine that having house bill five or house bill five, being heard today, certainly might have incentivized some people to escalate the violence in order to prevent people from getting the care, they need,” Fraim added.

To be clear, there was no violence with the protest, according to the sheriff’s office.

The House Health Aare Appropriations Committee will take up House Bill 5 on Thursday, which if passed, would ban abortion in Florida after 15 weeks.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed five adults were arrested and four juveniles were given a notice to appear in court.

The president of Planned Parenthood SWFL said her organization and the protesters share something important in common – freedom.

They have the freedom to peacefully protest. And she fears lawmakers are on their way toward eliminating a woman’s freedom of choice.

The Planned Parenthood SWFL center is back open.

 

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