Rally outside of Louisville Planned Parenthood facility draws advocates, supporters

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - The Planned Parenthood facility in downtown Louisville served as the backdrop for a clash between anti-abortion advocates and abortion-rights supporters Saturday.

There was no shortage of signs, or opinions, outside the clinic on S. 7th Street a little more than two weeks after a statewide controversy began, when the newly-opened Planned Parenthood facility began offering abortions.

"We do not need Planned Parenthood in Louisville. We do not need expanded services for abortion," one organizer said Saturday.

Anti-abortion advocates say Planned Parenthood acted in the wrong, performing abortions without the proper license and ask the state not to grant it the license.

Abortion rights supporters welcome the clinic and, what they say is, it's a woman's right to choose.

"We want people to be able to be taken care of," Sara Wood said. "We have a right to be taken care of, to have pregnancy when we plan on having a pregnancy."

"If I had to say anything to the other side it would be that we should work together to provide contraception and to talk about safe-sex education," Shadea Mitchell said.

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"Planned Parenthood is an equal-opportunity murder, but they're especially interested in getting rid of us," said Ray Howland, referring to black people.

"The Planned Parenthood facility was breaking the law," Jena Quesada said. "We wouldn't let a tattoo parlor give someone a tattoo without a license."

On Jan. 21, new Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin said Planned Parenthood provided abortions without a license and that the practice was in violation of state law.

The CEO of Indiana and Kentucky Planned Parenthood, Betty Cockrum, fired back, disputing the governor's claim.

She says the clinic is operating under the instructions given by the Office of the Inspector General, under former Governor Steve Beshear.

Bevin says Beshear's administration knowingly ignored the law by allowing abortion to performed at the clinic without a license.

Planned Parenthood says it has now filed for the proper license.

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