Both the City of Greensboro and Guilford County are being sued for the continued arrests and threats of arrests of pro-life advocates by the Greensboro Police Department.
Alliance Defending Freedom filed the 42-page lawsuit in the US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina in Greensboro on Tuesday, April 14, on behalf of Global Impact Ministries, which does business as Love Life.
The lawsuit claims that the First Amendment and 14th Amendment rights of Love Life personnel and affiliates were violated by Greensboro police officers arresting some of those associated with Love Life and for stating that others could not walk down the public sidewalk and pray in the vicinity of A Woman’s Choice abortion clinic at 2425 Randleman Road or they would be arrested for violating the Guilford County stay-at-home order.
The lawsuit states that Greensboro City Attorney Chuck Watts “offered his legal opinion that the Order authorized the City to suspend First Amendment activities for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency.”
The lawsuit notes that all the times when Love Life associates were arrested or threatened with arrest by Greensboro police officers they had not gathered in a group of more than 10 and were in keeping with the six foot separation social distancing requirement of the stay-at-home order.
The lawsuit states that “City Attorney Watts stated that under the Order, individuals may travel by foot but not by car to engage in outdoor activities.”
Participating in “outdoor activities,” which according to the definition includes “walking,” is an essential activity and permitted under the stay-at-home order.
This is the second lawsuit that has been filed over the arrest and threats of arrest of Love Life associates by Greensboro police officers.
After the first lawsuit was filed, which involved people from outside of Guilford County traveling to Guilford County to walk and pray near the abortion clinic, Watts said that the issue was travel. He said, “If they were local people from that area I don’t think we’d have a legal leg to stand on.”
Some of the arrests noted in the most recent lawsuit involve people from Greensboro, including Rev. Lee Stokes who is the pastor of Destiny Christian Center right down Randleman Road from the abortion clinic. He was stopped by police when walking on the sidewalk from his church to A Woman’s Choice and was told by police that he could not walk down the sidewalk while praying because “praying” was considered a demonstration and demonstrations were not allowed under the stay-at-home order.
The lawsuit requests a temporary restraining order, a preliminary injunction and a permanent injunction.
Health Emergencies do not prohibit such activities. I hope these folks burn the City and County for this absurd interpretation of the rules and laws. If the City and County are found guilty, then attorney responsible for this misinterpretation should be fired immediately.
People have the right to assemble peacefully most anywhere. I might add that they should not interfere with anyone’s legal business. No one tells me what to say or think; praying, mumbling, whatever.
The city needs to end the charade of claiming that any of their actions by the GPD are aimed at protecting the public health. In the same area where all of this is taking place, there are groups of young people gathering at parks and on corners and other sites. How many of these folks have been arrested by the Greensboro Police?? This may be the most obvious case of the government attempting to suppress religious activities in years.
Again I say nothing would have happened without the police asking where these men were from .The attorneys have made this a criminal act ,when it should not be considered as such. When a judgment is issued and the city has to pay,watch out city of Greensboro,a tax hike is on the way.Everytime a stupid decision made by the police and a payout is made A TAX. HIKE is coming. Go Trump to the landslide victory in November.When will the people in City wise up and vote out all Dems on city board.All the tax hikes in the last decade 3/4 were not needed.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I truly hope Love Life Associates are awarded EVERY PENNY they’re suing for.
So now liberals say you cannot pray while walking down the sidewalk. All I can say is TRUMP 2020!
Praying is not a demonstration. Praying is a person or persons talking to our Creator, God. IT would never occur to any normal person that their prayers, public or private, are a “demonstration.” Only an unbeliever in Jesus could think such a thing.
They were arrested because they are WHITE men. WHITE men don’t even have a representative on the City Council. WHITE men can’t even say “God bless America” out in public without being called racist. Greensboro is a disgrace to America!!! WHITE men made this country and we are the most important persons on this planet.
The ignorance of y’all is unbelievable.
Stay at home and don’t be a statistic until this is over. You are like a bunch of kids playing in the road and pouting when your parents pull you away from it. Pastors and congregation members are dying of COvID all over the country.
Stop being idiots and fools.