Good issue.

The right to protest is one that I fully support (and have exercised), and the same goes for freedom of speech.

I agree, though, that if these people are doing something wrong, they should be informed and asked to stop.

We definitely agree this issue needs to be addressed!

I have called the police non-emergency number (946-6316) whenever I've seen the protesters placing their materials on the sidewalks, etc. The police have always been responsive and said they would send someone out to talk to the protesters each time I've called. It is also my understanding that legally the protesters are not allowed to block foot traffic on the sidewalk or harass any passersby; the police are very diligent in making sure that while allowed to excercise their right to free speech, they are not allowed to break the law in doing so.

So the conclusion I've come to is that any/every time you see the protesters out with their materials displayed in a manner that is legally infringing on other's rights (placing protest material on public property, blocking the sidewalk in any manner, or verbally harassing anyone), call the police and tell them. They will send an officer out to tell the protesters what they are allowed and not allowed to do.

The "protesters" are homophobic too; the most offensive thing is the guy in the black dress, waving that pornographic book [the bible] around - really, evening wear? I wonder what they think about Gay fetuses?

I wonder what ever happened to the lawsuit filed by a few Yale students who were pushed down and out on Orange street in front of the recruiters office ?
-off topic i know, perhaps not.
Then there were the protesters of this clinic when it was located on State St . .Facing Humphrey St.
That building was owned by a former New Haven cop , who actually bought it when serving ( himself)
He called in on the protesters and they were promptly moved . The clinic simply moved for cheaper acres.

We called the police (non-emergency number) today about this issue, as the protesters were outside the clinic and up on Whitney Avenue with their pictures and literature. They were being very agressive with approaching cars with their materials, which we told the police when we called; they said they would send an officer out to the location.

Again, PLEASE report this issue to the police (call (203) 946-6316) whenever the protesters are harassing people on the street. The more the issue is reported, the more consistently the police will check and make sure that these individuals are following the laws (and not infringing on other people's rights) when they are there. Thanks.

I totally agree. They dont take into consideration that this is a doctors office for more people that are NOT pregnant or who are pregnant and NOT looking for an abortion. Its very nerve racking going in the parking lot to get your yearly pap smear and having people yelling in your windows!! Jumping in front of your car screaming. This protest has gone on far to long at this address they are doing no good for anyone. And they aren't changing peoples views. They are the problem now. They need to move on and police should stop over looking this. Laws need to be put in place to stop this BS.

I think the protestors are within their rights to do so. Afterall, even one innocent soul that is saved is worth all the trivial inconvenieces you have griped about.
That is why we a diverse nation with different cultures, different points of view, and as such we are free to speak and believe in what we choose.

roseann,
it is not legal to aggressively approach someone and push your views on them.
i have been harrassed by these people more times than i can count. that is not what freedom of speech means.

That's correct. Verbal abuse and physical intimidation are not inclyded in free speech. The police shoild enforce a buffer zone similar thosr that they use for political conventions - anywhere from 50 feet to several city blocks.

That's correct. Verbal abuse and physical intimidation are not inclyded in free speech. The police shoild enforce a buffer zone similar thosr that they use for political conventions - anywhere from 50 feet to several city blocks.

Recently they've been videotaping people who pull into the parking lot there. Are they allowed to do that? I was just picking up my birth control, not there for an abortion. The police should be more present there.

If they are standing in public space they can videotape pretty much anything. However, what they do with that footage is another issue.

Again, if you have ANY concerns or issues with anything you see the protesters doing, it is IMPORTANT that you call the police and tell them what the issue is, whether it is that you have been harassed verbally or physically or in your car. The police will not just show up randomly or because we think they should, they have to respond to specific complaints of violations by the protesters. If people frequently and consistently inform the NHPD that these protesters are violating people's rights, there will be more of a police presence made.

With regard to the issue of the protesters videotaping people who are at the clinic, I think the comment Doug made is correct. While they may be allowed to videotape anything in a public space, they may NOT use any of that video without the express (written) permission of anyone they are taping. I'd say if you see them taping you and you'd feel comfortable doing so, tell them you'd like them to stop and that they do not have your permission to use the video in any way. Again though, if you feel uncomfortable doing that, call the police and tell them what has happened. The protesters are possibly videotaping people as a form of intimidation and harassment, and again, please inform the police if you have concerns. If you feel you are being harassed, tell the police that specifically; harassment is a violation of your rights and the law, and the police will respond to that.

By the way ... the 50-foot buffer figure I mentioned was arbitrary. I don't know if that's the actual distance for a reasonable buffer but I'm certain the info is available somewhere.

Congress in 1994 passed a law called F.A.C.E. — the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (18 U.S.C., Sect. 248). The law prohibits injuring, intimidating or interfering with any person who obtains or provides reproductive health services. It provides for civil and criminal penalties against violators. (Here is a link to the Wikipedia entry on F.A.C.E.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Access_to_Clinic_Entrances_Act)

In order to extend further control over where the protesters are allowed to be, the Clinic would have to go to court to seek an injuction that would place (further) restrictions in the form of a buffer zone. Several clinics have taken their cases to the Supreme Court since '94; the Court announced a new test for such cases, "The injunction will be upheld unless it burdens more speech than is necessary to serve a significant government interest."

More info can be found here on www.firstamendmentcenter.org:
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/assembly/topic.aspx?topic=buffer_zones.

The police will enforce the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act to make sure no one's rights are being violated; the Clinic will have to use legal means to secure a buffer zone.

F.A.C.E. stipulates that freedom of access be allowed; therefore, while protesting outside the clinic is allowed, the following are not permitted:

-Blocking a person’s access to the entrance of a facility
• Impairing cars from entering and/or exiting a facility
• Physically stopping people as they are trying to walk toward an entrance or through a parking lot
• Making it difficult or dangerous to get in and/or out of a facility
• Trespassing on the property of a facility
• Committing any act of violence on a clinic employee, escort or patient
• Vandalism
• Threats of violence

Call the police and report the protesters if at any time they infringe on your right to access the Clinic!

Roseann,

And if a woman has an ectopic pregnancy (19.7 per 1000 reported pregnacies are ectopic), thus requiring an abortion to save the woman's life, this woman must go through the a crowd of bigoted, screaming cultists to receive life-saving surgery?
Bravo!

Protesters are back this morning (7/9). They have placards resting on the lawn, and are clumped together in a manner that's prohibiting access to the clinic. I have called the New Haven Police to report it, since these are both violations of public demonstration laws. Please reenforce my call by contacting the NHPD at (203) 946-6316

Thank you! I noticed this morning as well.

Not for nothing, but I also feel the need to say that whenever I've seen protesters arriving and getting materials out of their cars that I have never seen a permit displayed for parking on Edwards Street, which is in residential parking Zone 3. To be sure, there are no doubt dozens of cars parked in this area on a weekly basis that do not have a permit, but since I am on a regular schedule in the morning, I'm often walking past just as these folks are setting up, and I notice the same cars week after week parking in that zone.

Feel free to come protest all you'd like, but please do it legally--and that includes your parking.

Now they've taken to erecting a 4 foot wooden cross in the tree belt. Charming. And yet, blatantly illegal. Didn't have the NHPD non-emergency number handy, but have permanently added it to my phone so I can call as I walk past next time. Please do the same should you see this continuing.

The protesters are out in front of the clinic RIGHT NOW and they are definitely blocking the sidewalk! I have called the NHPD number and explained the situation, but PLEASE call and do the same if you also see them blocking access! The more calls the NHPD receives, the more attention they will give to making sure women continue to have unimpeded access to the Clinic (which is their legal right) and that they are NOT harassed by protesters!

For all those who say us bigoted protesters are blocking access to the clinic, please use some kind of common sense. If, as you say we block the entrance or the sidewalk we would all be in prison by now. You would not have to complain to the police. Planned Parenthood has called the police so many times on erroneous charges the police I feel are also tired of it all and believe me they also would just love to put us in behind bars. The fact we have not been arrested is that we always allow pedestrians to pass with out any interferance or block access to the driveway. PP has people stationed in the lot to see we do not violate the law. As for the parking situation, the parking restrictions are waved on week-ends.

The Abortion Clinic protesters had a march today.
It started at St.Joseph's Church on Edwards street and proceeded up to the clinics driveway at Whitney & Edwards St.
The Police ,as usual , gave the somber march an escort. With a beep beep and a rrr err of it's sirens/alarms.

@ Juli, I am one of the said prolifers at the Planned Parenthood facility on Whitney Ave. and we have a constitutional right to hold our signs of what ever nature. We do not put or carry any signs on private property. If you will notice they are all on public property or else the police would either confiscate our posters or even issue summons. If you only knew just how eager PP is to have us arrested for anything you would know we do not even dare step on their property.

The bottom line is that women have a legal right to access the Planned Parenthood Clinic, and to do so freely without being harassed or intimidated (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (18 U.S.C., Sect. 248). If anyone is seen violating this law and making it difficult to access the Clinic, the Police will be notified and action taken.

If at any time you have difficulty walking down the sidewalk on Edwards Street because of protesters blocking the area, please call the Police (203-946-6316) and inform them. I have witnessed the protesters standing in small groups on the sidewalk, and they do not always move readily when pedestrians need to walk through. This is not permitted; public areas must always be kept clear. Again, call NHPD and let them know.

I have also observed this kind of situation. I pass this location almost weekly as part of a long cycling route I follow and there is no question that the protesters intention is to be intimidating. Next time I pass I will call the police.

VB said, "We do not put or carry any signs on private property. If you will notice they are all on public property..."

There may be other city/state laws that qualify this (e.g.: are there exceptions for protests?), but the New Haven Code of Ordinances notes:

"Sec. 27-44. Permission required for certain activities on streets, sidewalks. (a) No person or property owner shall restrict the use of the right-of-way for public purposes without applying for a permit. This includes the placing of any obstruction within the right-of-way, sidewalk or tree belt."

The various signs and religious paraphernalia that are strewn all over the tree belt seem to be in violation of that ordinance, unless, as I said above, it does not apply for one reason or another, but I didn't see anything else in the code that indicated that.

As I said, we are not in violation of any ordinance, if we were we would have been summoned already. So you can complain to the NHPD all you want, we have a constitutional right to be there and to show our signs, of what ever nature no matter who is offended.

I agree that the signs and religious items that are being placed in the tree belt seem to be in violation of Sec. 27-44. Next time I see protesters with signs, etc. in this area I'll call NHPD and cite this ordinance. Thank you for looking this up.

Why wait, we'll be there this Saturday as every Saturday from 8:00AM to 10:00AM. Call the NHPD now and you can just sleep in on Saturday. Have a nice day...PTL

Just make sure you're holding your signs and not propping them up against public or private property. That way you won't be in any violation of anything!

This morning I saw protesters on both Edwards Street entrance AND the Lawrence Street exit.

At the Lawrence Street exit, demonstrators set up a lawn chair and other paraphernalia. At Edwards Street there were two sandwich boards and a big cross in the treeline adjacent to the sidewalk. Both of these are violations of the city ordinance listed in the comments above.

I called the NHPD non-emergency number (203) 946-6316, and made a report. I encourage all who see this kind of inappropriate demonstration to do the same.

Hey Brian, You say you called the NHPD, what did they tell you? They never said anything to us, are you sure you have a case against us? If you did we would have been arrested. The next time you call make sure you have a case...

I encourage everyone to take photos of the protesters - when they're violating laws and ordinances - and to upload them here on this page.

The NHPD are aware of this specific webpage and will sooner react to photographic evidence of the protesters (1) standing in the entrances to Planned Parenthood thereby blocking the entrance, (2) their placards being placed on private property (the grass areas), or (3) intimidating/harrassing those who are going into or leaving Planned Parenthood.

Use your cell phone or digital cameras to take photos of such incidents as described above and upload them here - you can easily "add an image" or "add a video" to your comment.

As with all threads, I encourage people to upload photos of activities that break laws or city ordinances.

The NHPD are aware of this thread given the numbers of people that have contacted them concerning this issue. They are much more likely to react to photographic evidence than mere anecdote.

Therefore, if anyone sees the following, take a photo using your cell phone or digital camera and upload it to this webpage (using the "add an image" tool in the comments box).

1. Protesters standing in the street entrances (on Edwards or Lawrence) to Planned Parenthood. Such actions violate the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (18 U.S.C., Sect. 248.)
2. The placing of placards, banners, crosses, and other such paraphernalia onto private property (the grassy areas) and/or the sidewalk thereby blocking the right of way for pedestrians. New Haven Ordinance Sec. 27-44.
3. The intimidation and/or harassment (verbal or physical) of people entering or leaving Planned Parenthood. 18 U.S.C., Sect. 248.

As I and others have stated in previous comments, placing items/demonstration materials in public areas is indeed in violation of City Ordinances (Sec. 27-44). The NH Police Department will continue to be notified when this or any other violation that interferes with access to the Clinic is seen to be taking place.

Here's a picture I took from this past Friday morning's demonstration (9/10). It's pretty clear that there's a wooden cross and at least two propped displays laying on the treeline adjacent to the sidewalk. There are five demonstrators huddled on the sidewalk.

This morning at 10:45am - two demonstrators, and installations set up along the tree line in front of Planned Parenthood.

This was taken this morning at 10:45am - one demonstrator and about 15 feet worth of material strewn on the treeline in front of the Humphrey/Whitney Yale parking lot. This is a secondary location for protesters.

I have also been woken up consistently every Saturday morning by the protesters playing a tape of a baby crying. I should not have to be subjected to hearing this every Saturday morning when I am trying to catch up on sleep. Where do we draw the line between exercising our constitutional rights and disturbing the peace? And why don't the police take an interest?

The New Haven police will respond to complaints of excessive noise. Call the non-emergency number: 203-946-6316 and complain when you hear the tape being played.

The New Haven noise ordinance requires that people limit their noise to a "level that does not exceed 55 decibels between the hours of 7am and 10pm Monday through Saturday (or 9am through 9pm on Sundays) and a maximum 45 decibels from 10pm until 7am throughout the week."
http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Mayor/ReadMore.asp?ID={41FD0022-E2D7-498A-8B72-000D39BBBD4B}

According to Industrial Noise Control,
60 decibels is equivolent to Conversation in restaurant, office, background music, Air conditioning unit at 100 ft.

If you feel that the noise exceeds this level, you have a right to call NHPD (non-emergency number) and ask that they measure the noise levels and reduce the audio level, if need be.

Misuse and Quality of Life in New Haven
I'm not sure that it's the noise _level_ per se that is making passers-by feel that the protesters are misusing public space. Take this example: walk by the older gentleman with the signs, on the City sidewalk, and have him enter your personal space with his "handouts." You will have to get out of his way, because he is in yours. You are walking, say, to work. When you refuse his "handout" materials, if you are female, he is known to shout "OH, YOU HAVE HAD AN ABORTION, I SEE" at you. Now I ask you: is this the city you want to live in??? As a person who wants to work and live in New Haven, this makes me love New Haven just a bit less. The police will tell you about his rights. Would we tolerate hate speech directed at other groups?

Other Options, However Unlikely
Obviously there could be a counter-movement of people holding signs saying, for instance "Honk If You Want These People To Stop Wagging Their Fingers At Others And Start Adopting Unwanted Children," but ironically, people who don't spend their time wagging their fingers at others tend also to have other things to do. (E.g., take care of the kids they adopted or constructively helping their fellow, already-born humans, work to support themselves, or look for said work, or report issues on SeeClickFix.) On top of which, it's at significant risk to any professional life you may hope to have. Hence, it would be nice if we could find a way to handle this via the City!

I was woken up by this morning's shouting on the Lawrence side.

The usuals are pretty much law abiding, it's the special guest star protesters that get rowdy,and nasty with patrons of whatever establishment that is. Try to get a description if you can of the actual perpetrator. I know one would hope that an on-line complaint would scare them and their goons away, but not likely

Hmmm....what ever happened to the war protesters? Haven't seen them in about 5 years.....yet we're still at war, and still helping to over throw Arab governments.........

I live on Edwards St & have to go by them most Saturday mornings. I went to bring a friend there for her yearly exam 2 years ago and barely made it into the driveway because of the. Their old posters with the pictures of dismembered fetuses were disgusting, and although I do feel they have a right to protest, I do find them very aggressive & obnoxious.

I'm pretty sure that it's illegal to staple/nail or even tape anything to a "telephone" pole.It's the property of the UI (I think) Seeing that the UI, AT&T, and Cable Co. uses it , but probably UI property , so calling the UI to remove unwanted posters might be the legal course of action..I do recall an adjacent homeowner or business can remove them. They would be responsible for the mess that lands on the ground in the tree belt or driveway, done mostly by others looking to make space so they rip down the old ones and post theirs..Curious about those fold out realtor type of signs that they place down , of the babies etc.A business or landlord probably can remove them , or ask the protesters to remove them , But then it might lead to confrontation and a donnybrook ..

They have a constitutional right to protest as long as it is in compliance with the law. As long as posters are on public property it is perfectly lawful for them to be there. From the sidewalk to the street is public property and it is perfectly legal. The posters are only showing what is going on inside that building, so why are you opposed the the signs and not offended to the practice of abortion?

The city does not cut the grass or maintain that area (sidewalk to the street) That's the homeowner or business' responsibility. If the tree decays etc, or the part that hangs over the street , is city resp..Branches near wires will be UI concern..Home-own/Biz can stop a tree from being planted in front of their home.

It's not illegal to put signs on poles, but you cant put them on the trees. Of course, if the signs being hung are offensive (which they are), then of course, that would be an issue. But they arent stapling anything to poles, they lean huge 3ftx4ft color pictures of babies on each intersection and hand out literature to anyone passing.

This issue was recategorized from Uncategorized to Policing Issue.

Have there been any updates by the city to this issue? I posted a complaint about the specific image on this site earlier today Year 2017.

We are closing this request due to its historic nature. If this concern still requires attention and you still believe SeeClickFix is a viable tool for its resolution the best way for it to be addressed is for you to create a new request including a current description of what is occurring and what solution you hope to see regarding this matter, citing/linking this request in the details. Thank you for your dedication to improving the quality of life in our community.