Approximately 45 people gathered for a vigil on Valentine’s Day on the sidewalk outside the Planned Parenthood clinic at the corner of 12th Street and University Avenue in Little Rock.
The Vigil for Victims of Underage Sex Trafficking was held in response to recent undercover videos of workers at several Planned Parenthood clinics where they allegedly discuss issues such as abortion, contraception and testing for sexually transmitted diseases related to underage prostitution.
In one case, the video “sting” conducted by the group Live Action at the Planned Parenthood of Central New Jersey clinic in Perth Amboy showed the clinic’s office manager — who has since been fired — talking to a young man and woman posing as a pimp and an underage sex worker. She urges them not to reveal that the sex worker is 14 because state law would require clinic personnel to report it as a case of statutory rape and child abuse.
Other undercover videos released by Live Action have shown Planned Parenthood personnel in 10 states offering advice that would help hide the sexual exploitation of minors or sex trafficking of foreign-born women.
The undercover videos also have prompted a move in Congress to defund Planned Parenthood
Mary Pate, the Little Rock coordinator of 40 Days for Life, was at the demonstration to bring awareness that Planned Parenthood is “in our neighborhood.”
“This is response to recent videos exposing Planned Parenthood in aiding and abetting underage sex trafficking. We’re standing out here for one hour, peacefully to let people know that Planned Parenthood is in our city,” she said. “Somebody new is going to drive by here and see this and realize that Planned Parenthood is right here. Maybe they’ll stop and think about it. Hopefully, call their congressman. That’s all we can hope to do.”
Demonstrations were held outside Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide, and coordinated late in the week prior to Feb. 14. The Little Rock clinic does perform chemical abortions. As the largest U.S. provider of abortions, Planned Parenthood received more than $300 million in federal funding last year.
“We don’t support federal tax dollars going to support Planned Parenthood,” Pate said. “That’s really what this is about is exposing Planned Parenthood and to make people stand up and say ’Enough’s enough — we don’t want to pay for it.’”
Planned Parenthood also operates a clinic on East Township Street in Fayetteville. About 30 people participated in the Valentine’s Day vigil there.
Catholic News Service contributed to this article.
