{"id":319142,"date":"2024-09-22T16:23:31","date_gmt":"2024-09-22T21:23:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=319142"},"modified":"2024-09-23T00:58:16","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T05:58:16","slug":"pro-life-advocate-sues-san-diego","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/pro-life-advocate-sues-san-diego\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro-life advocate sues San Diego over abortion facility buffer zone law"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Roger Lopez, a pro-life California citizen who has advocated for women and preborn babies outside of abortion facilities for 15 years, is suing the City of San Diego over its buffer zone law, which prohibits free speech within 100 feet of an abortion business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the Times of San Diego<\/a>, on September 5, attorneys from the Thomas More Society<\/a> filed a federal lawsuit against San Diego on behalf of Lopez, citing the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. As reported by Catholic Vote<\/a>, the lawsuit exposes “the closeness between Planned Parenthood and San Diego’s elected officials, as Planned Parenthood has donated ‘tens of thousands of dollars to the political campaigns of San Diego\u2019s city attorney, council members, and mayor.’\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation, said in a <\/span>statement<\/span><\/a>, \u201cSan Diego\u2019s bubble zone ordinance is a coordinated attempt to silence and shut down pro-life speech where it matters most: on the public sidewalk outside abortion businesses. The right to freedom of speech is at its highest on the public sidewalk, so attempts like San Diego\u2019s to silence pro-life speech outside abortion businesses is an especially egregious attack on our constitutional rights. We are proud to defend the First Amendment rights of sidewalk counselors, like Roger Lopez, who have dedicated their lives to sharing the pro-life message of hope and offering alternatives to abortion-bound women in need.”<\/span><\/p>\n

READ: Shouldn\u2019t doctors know the difference between natural death and intentional killing?<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The<\/span>\u00a0buffer zone law<\/span><\/a>, signed by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria on June 24, added an additional stipulation to a pre-existing 1997 law. It makes it illegal for demonstrators within the previously established 100-foot buffer zone around healthcare, religious, or educational institutions, including abortion facilities, to \u201capproach within eight feet of a person in the public right-of-way or sidewalk area who is seeking to enter or exit\u201d without the person\u2019s consent. <\/span>It also forbids signs to be displayed, and forces<\/span> speech within the zone to be \u201csofter than normal conversation.”<\/p>\n

The language in the law is broad, effectively banning any speech outside facilities that could cause \u201cdiscomfort or annoyance.\u201d For example, it states, \u201cNo person shall make, or cause to be made, any disturbing, excessive, or offensive noise which causes discomfort or annoyance to any reasonable person of normal sensitivities.\u201d <\/span>The law specifies that these requirements also apply to pro-life advocates approaching persons entering or exiting facilities in a vehicle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

City officials, meanwhile, have praised the law, calling it balanced, both for people seeking abortion and for pro-life advocates. As <\/span>reported<\/span><\/a> by the Times of San Diego, Mayor Gloria claimed, \u201c<\/span>We\u2019ve struck a balance that ensures people have safe, unfettered access to essential services while upholding protesters\u2019 First Amendment rights.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lopez and his attorneys strongly disagree, arguing that the new law infringes upon the rights of American citizens by undermining the First and Fourteenth Amendments.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTragically, Planned Parenthood in Southern California aborts more than 24,000 unborn children every year,” said<\/a> Paul M. Jonna, Thomas More Society Special Counsel and Partner, LiMandri & Jonna LLP. “Pregnant women report that clinic staff often lie to them about their reproductive options, ignore their needs, and are rude and condescending. Pro-life sidewalk counselors like Roger Lopez offer these women help, compassion, support, and information. But the City of San Diego wants to deprive women of this information\u2014leading them to mistakenly believe that abortion is their only option. In doing so, San Diego is not only harming women and their unborn children, but also unconstitutionally restricting the ability of sidewalk counselors to share the pro-life message\u2014threatening them with ruinous fines if they exercise their First Amendment rights.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Urge Walmart, Costco, Kroger, and other major chains to resist pressure to dispense the abortion pill<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Roger Lopez, a pro-life California citizen who has advocated for women and preborn babies outside of abortion facilities for 15 years, is suing the City of San Diego over its buffer zone law, which prohibits free speech within 100 feet of an abortion business.\u00a0 According to the Times of San Diego, on September 5, attorneys […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":867,"featured_media":319147,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[2793,3473],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nPro-life advocate sues San Diego over abortion facility buffer zone law<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Roger Lopez is suing San Diego over its buffer zone law, which prohibits free speech within 100 feet of an abortion business.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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