Right from the beginning of these peaceful, life-affirming pro-life protests, pro-abortion motorists and passers-by got nasty - and violent.  

I was participating in one such picket on Michigan Avenue, along with a dozen other pro-life witnesses, on April 15, 2006 (Holy Saturday) when my hand was hit by a bag of change a pro-abortion motorist threw at me from a speeding car.   A little while later at the same protest - on this day before Easter - at least one abortion thug threw a dozen eggs at us from her car.  

This pro-abortion fanatic had so little respect for human life - unborn or born - that she threw six eggs SPECIFICALLY at one of the pro-life witnesses who was carrying her BABY in her arms.  Thankfully, this baby was ok, unlike the babies which that quack, Alexander, mercilessly slaughtered inside his abortuary.

At another CPS protest on Michigan Avenue a few days later, the five-year-old son of a pro-life witness was actually hit in the head with an egg as he stood on a corner holding a non-graphic sign with a pro-life message.  Although shaken-up, the boy was not seriously injured from the attack.  

Other violent incidents that CPS members endured included bottles being thrown at them as well as at least one physical assault by a MALE pro-abortion pedestrian upon a FEMALE pro-lifer.  This latter incident took place at the April 15, 2006 protest and the police had to chase down the pro-abortion thug, who they arrested for assault and battery.  Meantime, in contrast to the actions of their pro-abortion counterparts, there were no violent incidents perpetrated by any of the CPS members or other pro-lifers at any of these protests near Alexander's Ypsilanti abortion mill.

In addition to committing violent acts, pro-abortion supporters of "Dr." Alexander wanted to intimidate the CPS witnesses by attempting to obscure the view of the graphic pro-life signs by holding blankets and sheets over these signs.  This tactic, which was repeated over several protests, failed for two reasons. First, by attempting to cover-up the signs, the pro-abortion fanatics only drew more attention to the signs from motorists who were stopped at near-by traffic-lights.  Second, the pro-abortion counter-protesters never had enough manpower to do the job.  They were repeatedly out-numbered by the CPS witnesses.  

Accordingly, the pro-abortion counter-protesters eventually gave-up this tactic, and eventually stopped coming out to support Alexander altogether, since the CPS witnesses proved repeatedly that they would not be deterred and were there for the long-haul. (In an ironic twist of fate, I had ducked when I saw the pro-abort motorist throwing an egg at me as I stood holding a sign at the April 15, 2006 protest.  The egg, which was meant for me, actually hit one of these pro-abortion counter-protesters, who screamed, "I'm not one of them.")    

The pro-abortion counter-protesters who came out in support of abortionist Alexander - a convicted federal felon - refused to say which pro-abortion organization they had been sent by when asked repeatedly by CPS members.  Speculation among CPS members was that these pro-abortion counter-protests, which were obviously organized, may have been tied to the office of state Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith (D-Ypsilanti), one of Michigan's leading pro-abortion political luminaries.  See: http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2007/8/9/23055/25841  

In addition to the pro-life protests, which waxed-and-waned until Alexander's Ypsilanti abortion business closed this summer, CPS engaged in side-walk counseling outside of the "clinic" in an effort to dissuade desperate women from allowing themselves and their unborn children to be victimized at the hands of Alexander.  On several occasions, Mary Jentzen and another faithful side-walk counselor, Barb Harburg, were quite successful.  

Next Thursday, I will conclude this three part series on the closing of Robert Alexander's Ypsilanti abortion business with an examination of CPS's legal strategy.  In addition, I will discuss the appalling reaction by Governor Jennifer Granholm's Department of Community Health to CPS's well-documented claims that Alexander was in violation of the law.

About the author: Andrew Shirvell, Esq., is a pro-life citizen activist who writes a weekly column that is published every Thursday for RightMichigan.com in which he focuses upon Michigan pro-life issues. Shirvell attended Ave Maria School of Law - Ann Arbor, where he served as president of the school's Bioethics Society, from 2004-2005.  He also served as president of Students for Life at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, from 2000-2002.