NEW YORK (LifeSiteNews) — The monthly Manhattan pro-life procession faced a chorus of protesters who marched alongside barricades last week as the New York Police Department (NYPD) maintained order.
On Saturday, May 5, the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral conducted its monthly “Witness for Life: Manhattan event” with a march from the Basilica to the Planned Parenthood on the corner of Mott and Bleecker streets with both sides of the sidewalk closed off from each other by barricades with NYPD officers in between.
“The police did their job and allowed us to exercise our rights,” said Father Lawrence Joseph Schroedel, a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. “It was a good day as far as prayer was concerned, and nobody got hurt. It seemed everyone was safe. From what I know, I think they did a good job.”
This marked the second procession since Father Fidelis Moscinski, a pro-life activist and member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, was sentenced to 90 days in a Michigan prison for a charge stemming from a Red Rose Rescue in the state.
In his place, friars such as Schroedel have stepped up to help lead the first Saturday processions.
Sidewalk advocate Bernadette Patel noted how, compared with previous times when Moscinski was imprisoned, the police are doing a better job of working with the other Friars leading the procession.
“They are finally listening,” Patel said.
Despite the police presence, a large number of pro-abortion Antifa activists heckled the pro-life witnesses as they marched down the street and prayed in front of the clinic. Several of the Antifa members appeared to be smoking marijuana and blowing the smoke into the prayerful crowd, which included women and children.
Several opponents of the procession even breached the crowd but were eventually escorted out by the NYPD.
The NYPD’s Office of the Deputy Commissioner reported that four individuals were arrested for disorderly conduct during the Witness for Life procession.
The group that organizes the protest against the procession is known as “NYC for Abortion Rights.” They describe themselves as an “intersectional, abolitionist, socialist-feminist collective of activists,” according to a media advisory released by the group.
“NYC for Abortion Rights” did not respond to requests for comments.
Also attending the procession was New York City Councilwoman Gale Brewer, who represents the sixth New York City Council District. She spoke with several members in front of Planned Parenthood in addition to several protesters.
She previously has expressed her support for New York to become “a beacon of hope for allowing women to make their own decisions about their own bodies.”
With so much opposition to the processions, Patel is grateful for the police protection as tensions have risen since the new year.
“Since January it’s getting worse, but it doesn’t compare to the past when they’ve thrown us against the walls. The police are really stepping up,” Patel said.
Schroedel also expressed his hope for the processions for life in the coming months.
“I really believe that God answers prayers, and God made promises that He’s going to keep,” Schroedel said. “Today, He made a promise that whatever you ask of Me will be given if it’s done in My Name. So His promises keep me going. This is what He wants. To stand up for the truth and know that life is sacred.”
Asked how much longer the processions will continue, Schroedel said, “Jesus eventually will come back and there will be no more of this. Until then, we have to witness to the truth, and we can’t allow silence to be the final word.”