![Love Life and and Love Life Charlotte have secured the legal representation of Alliance Defending Freedom after pro-life members were arrested on March 28. The Greensboro, North Carolina, arrests came for allegedly "travel[ing] for a non-essential function[/purpose]" during the coronavirus pandemic. (Image: LoveLife.org promotional screenshot)](https://twt-thumbs.washtimes.com/media/image/2020/04/14/Love_Life_org_c0-120-900-644_s885x516.jpg?e107d4c616a20f75eac57f9b38feb917b27d711a)
Pro-life residents say they were “singled out” and arrested in North Carolina on March 28 and March 30 despite following social distancing rules outside an abortion clinic.
Alliance Defending Freedom will defend members of the Christian ministry Love Life against the city of Greensboro, North Carolina, for “legal claims arising from […] unlawful denial of Love Life’s constitutional right to freely assemble and pray in a traditional public forum.”
A letter from ADF to the city dated April 2 details the arrest outside A Woman’s Choice abortion clinic; fewer than 10 individuals, each spaced six feet apart, were gathered in compliance with an Emergency Proclamation on COIVD-19 released March 27.
“Nevertheless, Love Life representatives Isaiah Burner, Jason Oesterreich, Justin Reeder, and Carl Ubinas were issued citations and arrested on March 28 — with Reeder and Oesterreich against arrested on March 30.”
Citations for violating social distancing rules were later amended to reflect “travel[ing] for a non-essential function[/purpose],” Catholic News Agency reported Tuesday.
ADF Senior Counsel Denise Harle blasted the government for allowing “some people to walk and talk on sidewalks and [while also saying] that these pro-life citizens can’t walk and pray there,” CNA reported.
“This wasn’t about public health and safety,” she added on ADF’s website. “It was about the government silencing people because it doesn’t like what they have to say. We support authorities’ efforts to prioritize the public’s health and safety, but if other groups are free to assemble, people of faith should be, too. And if abortion clinics can stay open during the pandemic, Christians should be allowed to pray outside—particularly those abiding by health and safety guidelines, as our clients were.”
BREAKING: ADF attorneys representing arrested pro-life advocates tell NC city it has gone too far
— AllianceDefends (@AllianceDefends) April 3, 2020
Read more: https://t.co/fbmPNTG5tL #coronavirus #prolife pic.twitter.com/iT5ZB79KuB
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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