DALLAS, Feb 9 (LifeSiteNews) – As was predicted, the legal abuse heaped on pro-lifers by successful lawsuits launched by abortionists and their supporters against peaceful pro-life protesters are being used against other forms of protest.
The Dallas Observer reports that two furriers have launched lawsuits against the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade accusing the group of violating the federal anti-racketeering law, known as RICO. In 1998, the National Organization for Women was successful in a lawsuit under the RICO act, which bankrupted many leaders of the US pro-life movement.
Two weeks ago, Macy’s filed suit against the Dallas-based Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) and the Norfolk, Virginia-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The suit rang familiar to pro-lifers. It alleged that protests at the company’s stores in Massachusetts intimidate customers and prevent people from doing lawful business with the stores.
“I don’t want to be compared to Operation Rescue, by any means, but the use of the RICO statute to target anything related to speech is a big mistake,” said Paul Goodwin executive director of CAFT. “They made a fundamental mistake to use the RICO statute to shut down anti- abortion groups. You open the door to where anybody who doesn’t like a protest group can find some way of using it.”
See the story in the Dallas Observer.
See LifeSite coverage of the RICO suit against pro-lifers here, here and here.
(with files from Pro-Life E-News)