Pro-life billboard at Northwest Third and Burnside.
Four days before a pro-life billboard featuring the Virgin Mary was to appear near a Planned Parenthood construction site, developers of the building had the entire sign structure removed.
The demolition, pro-life advocates say, is the latest example of efforts to limit their expression.
Clear Channel Communications had signed a contract with Valerie Aschbacher, a member of St. John the Baptist Parish in Milwaukie who has launched a pro-life witness called Mary Full of Life.
Plans initially called for the billboard structure to be taken down at the end of November because of construction. Aschbacher and Clear Channel intended to have her sign up until then. But then the developer had crews remove the sign on short notice, even though the tower was on the edge of the property and not likely to impede construction.
The general manager of Clear Channel was forced to inform Qwest, which had a sign on the other side of the structure, that he would need to find a new emergency location. The company also found another site for Aschbacher’s poster — Northwest Third and Burnside. To compensate Aschbacher for the inconvenience, Clear Channel officials extended her contract to Christmas at no charge and refunded fees.
Planned Parenthood denies involvement in the decision to raze the billboard tower.
“Whoever owns the land has the say,” says Liz Delapoer, Planned Parenthood spokeswoman.
This fall, the city sold the parcel at Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Beech Street to Beech Street Partners, the developers who worked, with city help, to get Planned Parenthood to lease the future building.
James Adamson and Timothy Ray of Beech Street partners did not return calls.
Completion of the Planned Parenthood building is set for late 2009. Abortions will be performed at the 40,000-square-foot facility, located in the center of Portland’s African-American neighborhood.
Opponents have accused Planned Parenthood of implementing a Machiavellian business plan.
It involves making money from black women, who already tend to have abortion at much higher rates than other racial groups.
Planned Parenthood last year reported more than $1 billion in income and announced plans to relocate several clinics nationwide into neighborhoods where African Americans make up significant populations.
Planned Parenthood saw 60,000 patients in its Oregon and Southwest Washington clinics last year. The organization is targeting an estimated 70,000 more teens and low-income women for birth control, gynecological checkups, pregnancy tests, breast exams, cancer tests and possible abortions.
Planned Parenthood is in the middle of a capital campaign to raise $12.5 million to fund the Beech Street project.
More than 200 protesters attended the groundbreaking last month, but were blocked from getting within a hundred yards of the ceremonies. Though secular media was allowed in, Planned Parenthood officials had hired security guards refuse access to the Sentinel, which has been covering the development for more than 18 months.
Early this month, 60 protesters prayed at the site and were met by 20 advocates of abortion rights who held signs including slogans such as “Abort all Zealots!” and “Baby parts available —coming soon.”
An African American pastor gave an invocation to the pro-lifers who also prayed a rosary as abortion rights advocates shouted insults.
Opposition originated at Immaculate Heart and Holy Rosary parishes, not far from the clinic. St. Charles Parish in Northeast Portland holds a fundraiser for Precious Children of Portland, the group organizing protests against Planned Parenthood and the companies helping to build the clinic and offices.
