Chicago City Council committee advances ‘quiet zone’ ordinance around abortion business

A Chicago City Council committee has advanced an ordinance to establish a “quiet zone” outside of the Family Planning Associates (FPA) abortion business on W. Washington Blvd.

As reported by The Chicago Sun-Times, Planned Parenthood and local Alderman Bill Conway asked the Committee on Public Safety to create the “quiet zone.” Conway moved to ban bullhorns, speakers, and other amplification devices from the streets surrounding the facility, claiming that pro-lifers are becoming “increasingly aggressive” against women. He claims pro-lifers have been “actively running” towards women and have been yelling and chanting.

Eric Scheidler, executive director of Pro-Life Action League, told Live Action News that Chicago has had a buffer zone of 50 feet around all abortion facilities since 2009. Everyone inside that 50-foot bubble must have permission to come within 8 feet of another person within that 50-foot bubble. Violations could result in a fine — but according to Scheidler, there is only one known case in which someone has been found to be in violation of the ordinance.

Recently, signs began appearing outside of abortion facilities regarding the buffer zone, which led individuals to believe a new ordinance had passed. Scheidler believes the signs were a part of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s blueprint for the city, which includes efforts to increase access to abortion.

Conway claimed that pro-lifers have begun bringing amplifiers and placing them “right next to the building.” Yet, Dr. Allison Cowett, medical director at FPA, said the pro-life activity is occurring “8 feet” from the building wall.

Conway continued, “I’ve been inside while this is going on and … you can literally feel the building shake because of this amplified intimidation. … It’s so loud that the staff at the clinic’s intake desk can barely hear what patients are saying to them.”

READ: Federal judge hands partial victory to pro-lifers in allowing buffer zone lawsuit

However, Scheidler told Live Action News, “They are lying. There’s no way. They say that the building is shaking. This is a brick building. If this brick building is shaking from someone using a battery-powered megaphone, then they have building code problems on their hands. … They’re lying when they say they can’t hear themselves inside the building. There’s just no way that that’s true.”

Scheidler also noted that, contrary to reports of pro-lifers loudly harassing women, the pro-life activists he knows on the ground in Chicago go to FPA individually or in groups of two or three to offer support to women. Abortion supporters, however, claim there are at least 20 pro-lifers present on Saturdays.

This could be because of a relatively new pro-life organization that has expanded into Chicago. Long-time pro-life activist Flip Benham, along with his twin sons, began an organization called Cities4Life, which merged with Love Life in 2020. Sidewalk counseling is a part of the North Carolina-based organization’s efforts. It holds church services on Sundays and prayer walks on Saturdays outside of abortion facilities. These efforts have brought in larger-than-average numbers of pro-lifers to the area outside of FPA. Love Life views abortion facilities as “mission fields.”

The quiet zone ordinance will now head to the full city council. If approved, signs designating noise-sensitive zones in the surrounding area of FPA will be posted. Anyone in violation of the ordinance could receive a $300 fine on the first offense and up to a $1,000 fine on the third and subsequent offenses in a one-year period.