BURLINGTON, Vt. -
Protesters surround the Planned Parenthood in Burlington a few days each week, but the complaint made to police on Wednesday wasn't against the protester - rather a Planned Parenthood volunteer.
"We consider ourselves apostles for the unborn," said protester Rita Mantone.
They pray to end abortion, and a few days each week, they protest outside the Planned Parenthood in Burlington.
"Planned Parenthood is going to tell her that's just a blob of tissue, but it's not, that's a living little baby boy or little baby girl that literally gets ripped apart from limb to limb," said protester Jeff Christman.
Pro-life activist Jeff Christman was handing out anti-abortion literature to a Planned Parenthood client Wednesday morning. A health center spokesperson says one of its volunteers noticed the woman felt threatened and stepped in between the two to protect her. But Christman says it was more than that, saying the volunteer shoved him and then called the Burlington Police.
"We're never violent, the violence that happens, happens in there," Christman said as he pointed to Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood says what the protesters do is a violation of privacy.
"They're being harassed and bullied and I don't think we should measure this in police cause, we need to measure this in patients and how they feel," Jill Krowinski said, Planned Parenthood Director of Vermont Public Affairs.
And that's why the Burlington City Council is considering an ordinance that would keep protesters 35 feet away from the building. Currently, protesters have to stay on the grass and cannot stop someone from going into the building.
Patients who feel attacked say most of what Planned Parenthood does, doesn't even involve abortions.
"98% of the work we do are preventative care services, so that's cervical cancer screenings, breast exams, sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment," Krowinski said.
Police say no arrests were made Wednesday. The complaint will go on file, but nothing more will be done with it.
As for the city council, this case may actually be the reason the patient privacy zone vote is moved up and could become law by July.
