Washington D.C., Jun 11, 2010 / 04:22 am
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, a Protestant minister who heads the Christian Defense Coalition, was arrested on Tuesday while praying in front of a Washington, D.C. Planned Parenthood facility. He and others said he was legally present on a public sidewalk the clinic has fenced in.
Pro-life advocates have prayed and counseled outside the Planned Parenthood clinic for years, but the facility recently applied for a public permit to construct an iron fence around the property.
The construction of the fence reportedly did not change the status of the enclosed land, which still remains public according to public records.
Hanes Henderson, senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), is representing Rev. Mahoney.