Updated: Saturday, 27 Jul 2013, 4:08 PM CDT
Published : Saturday, 27 Jul 2013, 4:07 PM CDT
GREEN BAY - After 35 years of picketing a Green Bay clinic where abortions services are offered, local anti-abortion activists held their final prayer vigil outside the medical facility.
OB/GYN Associates, located within the Medical Arts Building at 704 S. Webster Ave., will reportedly end offering abortion services as Bellin Health System takes ownership next Thursday, August 1. According to federal court documents filed by OB/GYN Associates owner Dr. Robert DeMott, DeMott acknowledges the sale to Bellin and the end of abortion services.
More than 30 anti-abortion individuals took part in the final prayer vigil outside the Medical Arts Building Saturday morning . Members of the Shield of Roses and 40 Days for Life joined forces in the peaceful picket with individuals carrying signs and reciting the rosary.
Shield of Roses members have had members picket every Saturday morning since 1978.
"When we started we never thought it would go on as long as it has," said Dianne Ellis, Shield of Roses member, who has taken part in the pickets for 33 years.
In the early years Ellis says they would approach young women going into the clinic for abortion services, but they were always peaceful. Restrictions put on the group early on prevented them from legally approaching patients, so instead Ellis says they relied on prayer for the message to be heard.
Event organizers confirm this would be their final picket/prayer vigil outside the clinic location.
"We'll continue to pray where ever we need to pray," said Ellis.
Planned Parenthood of WIsconsin Public Policy Director Nicole Safar says with the Green Bay clinic no longer an option for women seeking an abortion, individual will have to travel to Grand Chute, Madison or Milwaukee for such medical services.
"We know when women don't have access to safe abortion, overall their healthcare suffers," said Safar. "We know this from our own history before Roe vs Wade when women were showing up in hospital emergency rooms bleeding to death from self-imposed abortions, unsafe abortions."
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