Planned Parenthood pledge drive makes money off Good Friday protest

St. Paul, Minn., Apr 15, 2009 / 04:03 am

A Minnesota Planned Parenthood fundraiser which tied donations to the number of abortion clinic protesters on Good Friday received about $14,000 by capitalizing off of increased crowds drawn by Archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis John Nienstedt’s presence. An archdiocesan spokesman said the pro-lifers are concerned with preventing abortions, not with the money.

Every Good Friday, Pro-Life Action Ministries of the Twin Cities hosts a protest outside a Planned Parenthood clinic on Ford Parkway in St. Paul. This year was the first time that someone the stature of the archbishop participated in the demonstration.

Pro-life protester Megan Noll told Minnesota Public Radio that Archbishop Nienstedt made a “huge difference” and brought perhaps the biggest crowd she had seen.

Seeking to put a dent in the pro-life protest, Planned Parenthood set up a “pledge a protester”system that allowed its supporters to donate a set dollar amount for each protester. The abortion clinic raised $14,000 on Friday through their protestor campaign.

“The day went well and we know that the majority of Minnesotans are supportive of our work in communities across the state,” said Kathi Di Nicola of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS).

CNA spoke about the Good Friday protest with Dennis McGrath, Director of Communications at the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis.

He said he had no way of verifying the fundraising claims, and was not at the protest himself.

Reporting there were no “incidents” or physical altercations at the protests, he acknowledged “There were more of them than there were of us.”

McGrath reported that Planned Parenthood and abortion supporters conducted “significant promotions” and “really worked the web and the phones.”

However, McGrath told CNA, the fundraising program would not dissuade pro-lifers from continuing and “doing whatever is necessary in the fight for life.”

“It’s not a question of money, it’s a question of a fundamental tenet of our faith. We aren’t about to weaken our resolve or stop speaking out in any way necessary to prevent abortion and all its derivatives.”