Gearing up for abortion protests

Vanessa Klinetobe needs sleeping pills just to fall asleep at night.

Since the killing of Wichita, Kan., abortion provider Dr. George Tiller in May and recent threats of protests in her Bellevue neighborhood, Klinetobe has become increasingly fearful for her life. So fearful, in fact, that Friday she sought a protection order in Sarpy County District Court against Larry Donlan, the director of anti-abortion group Rescue the Heartland.

Her petition is one sign that the stakes in the abortion wars have risen locally. Her boss, Dr. LeRoy Carhart, says he is bracing for the worst. And law enforcement agencies are stepping up their watch. A protest scheduled later this month is drawing the national anti-abortion group Operation Rescue.

The protest is part of a national campaign to block Carhart's efforts to open a late-term abortion clinic somewhere in the Midwest to replace Tiller's former clinic in Wichita.

Carhart and Tiller were friends, and after Tiller's death, Carhart had said he would provide late-term abortions. His Abortion and Contraception Clinic of Nebraska in Olde Towne Bellevue is now one of less than a handful of places in the nation that perform abortions after the point at which a fetus is considered able to survive outside the womb.

Carhart has said that there are cases in which a third-trimester abortion must be available as an option, including situations involving severe fetal deformities or women with severe physical or mental problems.

With the national spotlight now on Carhart, the Bellevue Police Department is preparing for any escalation in protests — even violence.

“We are planning for the worst-case scenario,” said Bellevue Police Capt. Herb Evers. “Most of these protesters have been peaceful and legal, but we have to be prepared that there are other groups that are not so peaceful and legal.

“With Tiller's clinic obviously closed, the next closest place is Bellevue, Nebraska. We are kind of expecting that things will change for us.”

The department met with law enforcement counterparts in Wichita in July, learning firsthand how to manage the epicenter of a national issue.

They've also drawn up plans, which Evers declined to reveal, and pulled in the other Sarpy County agencies and the Nebraska State Patrol. So far, the Bellevue Police Department reports no uptick in protests since the clinic started performing late-term abortions several months ago. However, Evers said officers have noticed some new faces among the protesters.

On Aug. 29, there could be a few more.

Operation Rescue will join Nebraskans United for Life and Rescue the Heartland for a morning demonstration outside the Bellevue clinic.

Donlan, of Rescue the Heartland, said this protest won't be any different from other “peaceful prayer vigils,” despite rumors of hundreds of protesters attending the event. He said that's exactly what the groups don't want because women are less inclined to talk with protesters and listen to their advice when there's a large crowd.

But whether it's just one protester or five, Carhart said a day doesn't go by without their presence outside his business. Still, that hasn't pushed him away from the career he has taken pride in since 1988.

“Dr. Tiller and I talked about this many times in the past,” he said. “We know we are always targets, but we stay involved. We have to keep abortion available for the women of this country.”

The 67-year-old Tiller had been targeted for decades and at one point had the protection of federal marshals.

Tiller had performed abortions since the 1970s and was controversial for performing late-term abortions. He ran the Women's Health Care Services clinic in Wichita, one of just three clinics in the nation to perform late-term abortions.

On May 31, Tiller was shot and killed in the lobby of the Lutheran church he attended in Wichita. Carhart said Tiller's death has increased safety concerns among his employees, but he remains confident that Bellevue police will continue to respond appropriately.

Evers said there is already a “special watch” on Carhart and his employees' residences.

The department also frequently monitors Web sites of organizations on both sides of the abortion issue.

Those steps have not allayed Klinetobe's fears. The 25-year-old medical assistant at the Bellevue clinic has dealt with harassment from anti-abortion protesters for seven years.

She makes the following claims in her petition for a protection order: Donlan once followed her home from work in 2006; he sent a letter to her home demanding that she resign or face protests near her Bellevue house; and he recently shouted outside the clinic: “Vanessa, you are next. We plan to exploit you.”

Donlan said Sunday that he knew nothing about the protection order and had not been served as of Sunday afternoon.

He denied any wrongdoing and said he was surprised because his group had been looking for alternative employment for Klinetobe. He did admit to following Klinetobe a few years back in his red van, but said it was only for a few blocks and to get an idea of where she lived for protest purposes.

“A protection order is used to protect someone from real violence,” he said, “not to protect someone against First Amendment-protected actions.”

The Bellevue clinic where she works sits on Mission Avenue, a main east-west route in one of Bellevue's older neighborhoods. There are houses on the street. A Catholic school sits across the street, half a block away. Behind it is the church.

Evers said neighbors haven't raised concerns, although officers have recently met with St. Mary Catholic School officials to discuss student safety.

“Our focus is public safety for people using streets, school kids and the entire neighborhood,” Evers said. “It doesn't matter what side of the issue you are on, we are here to protect you.”

Contact the writer:

444-1336, leia.mendoza@owh.com