Lessons From Birmingham: Unity, Prayer and Protest NOT Violence Demolishes Strongholds

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(Photo credit: wtvm.com)

By Bud Shaver

Birmingham, AL- Who would have ever foreseen that the unlawful arrest of a peaceful team of pro-life youth activists with Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust at Parker High School located in Birmingham Alabama would culminate seven years later with the demolishing of an abortion killing center New Woman All Women?

Well that’s how our great God works!

Watch the unlawful arrests at Parker High School (See if you can spot Bud and Tara Shaver in this footage):

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgZRLkppyOk]

Read the shocking press release detailing the entire ordeal here: Outrageous Civil Rights Violations in Birmingham Against Pro-Life Youth Activists

Fast forward to 2010, due to the unlawful arrest of the team of Survivors at Parker High School and the unwillingness of the City of Birmingham to drop the charges…Survivors law team at Life Legal Defense Foundation (LLDF) obtained a restraining order preventing law enforcement officers from illegally arresting those (including Bud Shaver) and/or from being ill treated during their return participation in the Pro-Life Freedom Ride:

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“Because the Survivors planned to travel to Birmingham this month to participate in various pro-life activities scheduled for late July, they asked LLDF to obtain a preliminary injunction to ensure that they would not suffer the same treatment from police as they had last year. In the course of seeking that injunction, LLDF lawyers learned that the city had a “demonstration” ordinance that required groups as small as two persons to obtain permits before engaging in various free speech activity.

“What started as a lawsuit to get fair treatment for the Survivors has evolved into a broader challenge to the city’s unconstitutional permit scheme,” said Katie Short, legal director of the Life Legal Defense Foundation. “We have learned from local pro-lifers that this law has been a thorn in their side for years. We are hopeful that when this suit is over, we will have not only vindicated the Survivors’ rights, but also have relieved the local pro-life community of the burden of this onerous law.”

Read the full statement from LLDF here: LIFE LEGAL DEFENSE FOUNDATION GAINS VICTORY FOR PRO-LIFE DEMONSTRATORS

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(Pro-Life Freedom Ride: Bud and Dr. Alveda King of Priests for Life)

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(Pro-Life Freedom Ride Birmingham, AL: Bud, Fr. Terry Gensemer, and Kristina Garza)

This national event culminated in the freeing of the sidewalk in front of New Woman All Women abortion killing center! 

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“The Birmingham Letter Project, a four day event, began Wednesday morning with a small group of prayerful pro-lifers crossing a street. It probably looked like a small act to any uninvolved bystander, but, to the people of the Birmingham pro-life community, it was an act of immense courage, a miracle of God, and a moment of brilliantly shining hope.

The street that was crossed lies directly in front of the New Woman All Women abortion clinic. For thirteen years there has been a sign posted in front of that building which states that any pro-life person stepping within 20 ft of the property will be arrested and prosecuted by a federal court. This means that anyone in the pro-life community who has come to that abortion clinic to pray for the preborn, to peacefully protest against the lawful killing of children, or to sidewalk counsel women who have been told that their only option is abortion, has been forced to do so from a distance. For thirteen long years, not one group advocating for Life has planted their feet on the concrete and grass beside that clinic and made a stand for the babies being murdered behind closed doors. Until Wednesday.

On Wednesday morning, around nine o’clock, the Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust (a youth-based pro-life group from California) led by Jeff White, and accompanied by Rev. Pat Mahoney, Bud Shaver, Pastor Walter Hoye, and long-time local pro-life advocate Fr. Terry Gensemer boldly crossed the street to the clinic to pray a liturgy for the preborn…”

Read the full report here: The Birmingham Letter Project

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(Through the power of Jesus…Pastor Walter Hoye and Bud Shaver standing on reclaimed territory!)

Read Pastor Walter Hoye’s amazing testimony here: Appeals Court Upholds Pro-Life Pastor’s Free Speech Rights

Fast Forward to 2012…

Since the sidewalk was freed up, sidewalk counselors are able to document horrific abortion related injures taking place at New Woman All Women: 39 Years After Roe V. Wade, No Gurney Access Endangers Two Injured Abortion Patients in Alabama

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(Photo and caption credit: Operation Rescue)

This lead to an investigation by the Alabama Department of Health which issued a scathing 76 page deficiency report. Read the full report here: Massive Deficiency Report Reveals Dangerous Abuses at AL Abortion Clinic

On April 6, 2012 just 24 hours after several pro-life groups called for the closing of New Women All Women…Alabama Abortion Clinic Ordered Closed By State

But according to Operation Rescue, “Over the next two years, NWAW [New Woman All Women] attempted to reopen under one deceptive scheme after another. Each time the coalition of pro-life groups jumped in to expose the deception and each time, NWAW was blocked from continuing abortions.”

Until finally in March, 2014, owners of New Woman All Women finally gave up and placed the clinic property up for sale.

“In the end, for the Birmingham and Selma clinics, the Abortion Cartel’s own illegal activity and arrogance brought them down, but it took pro-life groups working within the system to point that out to state regulators.”

“When pro-life groups work peacefully within the law in unity toward a common goal, we can accomplish almost anything,” said Troy Newman. “The demolished rubble that was once Alabama’s abortion stronghold is a public testimony to that fact.”

Read the full report here: Post Script: Former Illegal Birmingham Abortion Clinic Demolished

Fast Forward to 2016…

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Lessons From Birmingham: Unity, Prayer and Protest NOT Violence Demolishes Strongholds

 

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