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Pro-Lifer
Attacked With Club, Threatened With Arrest During Clinton Protest
Operation Rescue | Dec. 10, 2007
Fort Madison, Iowa
- Pro-lifers with graphic signs were attacked by a man wielding a
club during a protest at a Hillary Clinton campaign stop in Fort
Madison, Iowa, on Friday, yet responding police threatened to arrest
the pro-lifers if they did not immediately leave the public
sidewalk. The incident was captured on video. (View video below.)
Police were parked across the street from where Dan Holman of
Missionaries to the Pre-Born was standing on a public sidewalk on
December 7, when a man in a pickup truck got out of his vehicle and
approached Holman with a club, shouting at him to get off his
property. Holman was attacked and struck with the club.
“The man continued to try and assault me in the presence of three
Fort Madison police officers,” Holman told Operation Rescue. “Rather
than arresting the attacker the police threatened to arrest me! The
police acknowledged that I was on a public right of way but said our
presence posed a traffic hazard.”
Police told Holman that if he wanted charges pressed against the man
with the club, he would have to go to the police station and fill
out a report. Holman complied with the order to leave under threat
of arrest, and later filed a complaint against his attacker,
identified as Jim Mitchell. Holman is considering legal action
against the Fort Madison Police.
Holman’s group was
protesting Clinton, a radical supporter of abortion, in advance of
the Iowa Caucuses, which will be held on January 3, 2008. He has
protested Clinton at 32 of her Iowa appearances.
“Police departments across the nation have shown a disturbing
disregard for the First Amendment rights of abortion protesters in
recent weeks,” said Operation Rescue spokesperson Cheryl Sullenger.
“We have a great deal of respect for the vast majority of police
officers, who are decent people, trying to do a very difficult job.
However, rogue officers who bully and falsely arrest peaceful
protesters that are simply exercising a precious right in defense of
innocent babies, are put on notice that they will be held legally
accountable for their abusive behavior. We urge every police
department to train their officers concerning First Amendment
activity in order to bring an end to this kind of abuse.”
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