March 31, 2000
State College Demonstration

Tomorrow (April 1, 2000), a delegation from Erie, Pennsylvania will travel to State College, Pennsylvania for a protest demonstration at the abortion facility operated there by Dr. Steven Chase Brigham. A number of State College residents are expected to join the Erie group during their demonstration.

The Erie demonstrators will meet at the People for Life Pro-Life Center, 1625 West 26th St., Erie and depart for State College at 7:00 AM. They will be demonstrating in State College from Noon until 2:00 PM.

A similar demonstration will be conducted at about the same time in Erie, from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM, at the Professional Building, 1611 Peach St., where Dr. Brigham intends to open another one of his abortion facilities. The demonstration in Erie will be the 47th public demonstration conducted by People for Life, an Erie pro-life organization founded in 1973, since Dr. Brigham's intentions with respect to the Erie area became public knowledge last October.

Other groups taking an active role in opposing Dr. Brigham's plans for Erie include the Erie Men of Integrity, which sponsored a demonstration at the Professional Building early last winter, and the Shield of Roses prayer group, which meets at the Professional Building to pray every Saturday morning. Also since last October, two more Erie pro-life groups have been organized, Lawyers for Life and Health Professionals Against Abortion.

People for Life president, Timothy J. Broderick commented on Friday, "Erie is a strongly pro-life community with strong family values. The community is not interested in killing as a 'solution' for untimely pregnancies. We know that untimely pregnancies do occur. In fact, the Erie area has done an exceptional job of preparing itself to respond to the needs of women in crisis pregnancy situations. Erie County, for instance, is served by the Women's Care Center organization. The Women's Care Center, with six branch offices in the county, offers comprehensive services for mothers before and after they give birth. The center offers post abortion trauma related services, as well. The Erie Catholic Diocese also offers similar programs for all area woman, regardless of religious affiliation."

Over 19,600 concerned Erie area residents have signed a statement which declares opposition to the opening of an abortion facility in Erie and furthermore pledges ongoing support for efforts to save as many women and unborn babies as possible in the event that an abortion facility is imposed on the Erie community.

Ongoing demonstrations will be a part of the Erie community's response as long as woman and their babies are threatened by an Erie abortion facility. Other efforts are also underway. For instance, a sidewalk counseling workshop conducted by Ann Scheidler of Chicago's Pro-Life Action League has been scheduled for May 27.

People for Life, Inc. is an all-volunteer, non-profit, citizen's organization committed to affirming the intrinsic value of human life. People for Life is dedicated to advancing true justice by working for the protection of all innocent human lives, whatever the age, race, sex, physical condition, economic status, or place of residence (including the womb). People for Life encourages local involvement through education, political awareness, and the promotion of loving alternatives to the primitive and violent "solutions" of abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia. Together, we can create a society in which all human lives are held sacred.