The latest of Graham Preston, Australia's Leading Prolifer

Dear Friends, Just a brief note to let you know the outcome of the post-Christmas vigil. As expected, it was not long into the first morning before the police arrived – three cars with six police! A senior constable who had been involved with Anne's arrest at last year's vigil did all the talking.

After a few minutes speaking to us he went back to his car and had a fairly long discussion with someone on his phone. When he returned he said that he had talked with his superior officer and then with another level of superior officer above that and they had decided that since the abortion clinic was not open, we could stay!

So long as there were no staff or clients there we would not be given a move on direction. As you can imagine we were very surprised at this development, to say the least! We wondered if the clinic would organize for a staff member to show up just to make things difficult. According to the Children By Choice website though the place is not due to reopen for "business" until January 2 and as it turned out it appeared that no staff did come. (One car with a couple and two children did enter and stay at the premises at one point for nearly an hour but who they were we have no idea.)

Quite a few members of the passing public told us, with varying degrees of anger, that it was illegal for us to be there and many took photos. We expect that the police heard from quite a few irate people over the three days and on the second day another police car did pull up. However it was explained to them what had been said to us by the other police and they even said that if we had any trouble to give them a call!

Otherwise, apart from a fairly steady stream of rude gestures and shouted abuse from passing traffic, and one pedestrian who made a bit of an effort to take off with the signs, it was a relatively peaceful vigil. We wonder what the High Court judges and Jackie Trad would have thought if they knew that we had been there!

One other curious thing: as soon as we arrived we noticed that the large sign for the abortion clinic has been replaced with one for a Dr Zeb McNamara who is an oral, dental and maxillofacial surgeon. We were later told that this sign went up just a few weeks ago. We wondered if this meant that the abortion clinic had moved or closed. We tried ringing their number and there is only a brief recorded message, without any identification, to leave a message. We pointed this out to the police when they arrived but they said they then made a check on that and it is still apparently an abortion clinic. Presumably the businesses are sharing the premises.

It seems very odd though. There is now only a very small indication of the abortion clinic still being there – one of their symbols is on the wall of the building and that is behind a high fence. It would be nice to think that perhaps they may be in the process of leaving but time will tell.

Hopefully this "surprise" vigil will have had an impact on many people. Thank-you for praying.

Graham
Protect Life
contact@protect-life.info