(CBS Detroit) – The city of Detroit is considering restricting protests near medical facilities.
Supporters, including abortion rights advocates, say it will improve safety for people seeking medical care, while critics say it infringes on free speech.
It was quiet outside the Scottsdale Women’s Center on 7 Mile near Evergreen this Monday, but it was the exact opposite over the weekend, as captured on camera outside the abortion facility.
Shelley Miller, the center’s executive director, shared the photos with CBS News Detroit and recently told the Detroit City Council what she and her employees have had to endure.
“They’re literally standing by us as we go to and from work. They’re yelling at our patients. They’re approaching patients’ cars,” Miller said.
Shelley Miller
The problem has become so severe that City Council Member Gabriela Santiago Romero has drafted a clinic protection ordinance.
If approved, protesters would not be allowed within 15 feet of any entrance to a medical facility, and a 100-foot zone would be created, with demonstrators not being able to get within eight feet of a person to hand out fliers, hold up signs or speak unless that person gives permission.
“So now, with all the political issues, we want to make sure that we are taking measures to protect people. We understand that people have the right to express themselves freely, so we want to make sure that people have that opportunity in health facilities where they want to be heard. But we also want to ensure that people have the right to use the facilities safely,” Santiago Romero said.
She points out that other cities, including Pittsburgh and Englewood, New Jersey, have similar ordinances.
“And the way this bill was written was very thoughtful in terms of them wanting to protect people who protest, their right to protest, and also protect patients, which I think is great,” Miller said.
The community can comment on the proposal during Tuesday’s City Council meeting and during the Public Health and Safety Committee meeting at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 30.
“My intuition is that this ordinance is simple. It actually gives everyone the opportunity to exercise their rights. So far, I don’t see any problems with it not being passed by the parliament,” Santiago Romero said.
Andres Gutierrez
