{"id":218525,"date":"2020-02-14T14:29:13","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T20:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=218525"},"modified":"2021-01-22T17:12:47","modified_gmt":"2021-01-22T23:12:47","slug":"abortion-escort-licks-sidewalk-counselor-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/abortion-escort-licks-sidewalk-counselor-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro-life advocate appeals court’s refusal to protect her from pro-abortion assault"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UPDATE, 01\/22\/2021:<\/strong> Erika Schanzenbach is appealing a Tennessee court’s ruling to not issue protection orders against abortion escorts who regularly harass and assault her. According to an e-mail from the Thomas More Society, the court claimed that Schanzenbach is not truly distressed by the abortion escorts’ actions, because she continues to advocate for life outside the abortion facility.<\/p>\n

Thomas More Society Senior Counsel Martin Cannon, who represents Schanzenbach, pointed out that she has changed the dates and times she visits the facility, specifically to avoid her assailants. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese defendants have stepped beyond the limits of both civility and the law in their attempt to shut-down pro-life speech. Erika Schanzenbach is peacefully exercising her First Amendment rights to speak against abortion and advocate for life-affirming alternatives,\u201d Thomas More Society Counsel Michael McHale said. \u201cThe Skeens and Hanzlik have engaged in and bragged online about their abusive, threatening, and illegal conduct. Their so named, \u2018Pink Manifesto,\u2019 states that they will \u2018use any means necessary\u2019 \u2018whether legal or not\u2019 to physically block pro-life witnesses. Their hostile and belligerent conduct cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. The court must protect Ms. Schanzenbach and hold these women accountable for their criminal actions.\u201d <\/p>\n

02\/14\/2020:<\/strong>Erika Schanzenbach, a pro-life sidewalk counselor, is fighting back after facing repeated assaults and harassment from abortion activists and escorts in Tennessee. Numerous videos filmed outside of Bristol Regional Women\u2019s Center show Schanzenbach being threatened, harassed, and assaulted, some of which Live Action News has previously reported<\/a>. Now, the Thomas More Society has stepped in, seeking orders of protection that would allow Schanzenbach and other pro-lifers to peacefully protest without having to face this kind of behavior.<\/p>\n

One video provided by the Thomas More Society showed Schanzenbach warning two abortion escorts not to touch her or her sign; the escorts, however, ignored her. “Make me stop!” one of the escorts taunted. “You need to stop talking to patients.” The other remained close by Schanzenbach’s side as she repeatedly told them to back off and stop touching her. A male escort joined the other two women, yelling at Schanzenbach to shut up as she told them to leave her alone.<\/p>\n

One of the escorts also repeatedly\u00a0licked<\/em> Schanzenbach’s hand as she held it up to block the escort. When Schanzenbach told the escort to stop, the escort said, “Call the cops!” They also followed her every time she tried to move away.<\/p>\n