Pro-Life News

Abortion Protest Leads to Violence

A graphic anti-abortion demonstration turned into an ugly physical fight as an abortion rights supporter began yelling at protesters and slapped a minister in the face, and he punched her and the pair wrestled to the ground.

The two were separated after the pastor's wife, holding their young child, got the female abortion rights supporter in a headlock and two more of their children and others intervened.

The argument erupted at about noon Thursday as demonstrators held anti-abortion placards, some depicting butchered fetuses, on the sidewalk in front of the Genesee County Courthouse, at S. Saginaw and W. Court streets.

An angry Amanda Crim, 25, of Davison drove her red Chevrolet Cavalier over the curb on S. Saginaw, left the engine running and jumped out to swear at four young women holding the signs.

The demonstrators were from a Wisconsin-based group, Missionaries to the Preborn, that has been conducting such protests throughout the country.

"You are no better than someone who had an abortion," Crim yelled. "Why do you have to go to the (expletive) street where I have to see all this?

"You are not helping anything, but giving people nightmares."

"We are glad you are upset," responded the Rev. Matt Trewhella, head of the anti-abortion group. "Most people just walk by and say nothing."

"I want to scream. I want to destroy these signs, but I know better," Crim countered.

As the argument continued, Crim kicked over one of the signs showing a fetus and turned on Trewhella, whose son apparently was nicked by the falling sign.

Crim slapped Trewhella twice, and he punched her and then jumped on her as she fell to the ground. Neither required immediate medical attention, but Trewhella's son, Matthew, 3, appeared to have a small cut on his lip.

Other people piled on to separate the pair as Flint police officers and sheriff's deputies arrived.

Flint police took Crim into custody. The flare-up occurred just before the group was to gather up about 30 5-foot signs and drive to Saginaw for another street demonstration, part of a two-week tour that originated Monday in Benton Harbor and ends in Sheboygan, Wis.

Trewhella, pastor of a nondenominational church in West Allis, Wis., said he founded the group in 1990.

The group, dominated by young people from Wisconsin and joined by some Flint-area residents, started the day at the state Capitol in Lansing and came to Flint at 11:30 a.m., posting signs showing fetuses in various stages of development over a two-block area along S. Saginaw, between Fourth and Fifth streets.

The group stood on both sides of S. Saginaw, some handing out anti-abortion literature and engaging passers-by in conversation.

Aaron Beay, 20, of Fond Du Lac, Wis., stood on one corner of Saginaw and Court with a megaphone, periodically reciting abortion statistics.

Reaction was mixed. Some people were visibly angry at the photos, while others praised the group's effort.

Paul Reed, 48, of White Lake stopped to talk with anti-abortion sign holders Judy Paga, 53, of Dryden and Connie Wasmund, 55, of Dryden Township.

"I am Catholic, and I am definitely against abortion, but I don't know how effective (the protest) is," Reed told the women. "It probably puts some people off.

"You've got to change people's hearts."

www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1091805867190540.xml Posted by Editor at August 6, 2004 04:03 PM