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A man who was arrested for shouting on campus last week returned to the University on Tuesday to continue his anti-abortion protests.
Rives Grogan, 48, carried a sign that said “Ban Late Term Abortion in Jesus’ Name,” and shouted about abortion and religion in front of the Student Union Building.
Grogan, a pastor from California, was arrested in front of Zimmerman Library on Thursday for disorderly contact and public nuisance.
His protest occurred on the same day as the Albuquerque Special Election day, when voters were asked to decide whether to pass the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Ordinance. The ordinance proposed to ban abortion after 20 weeks, excepting situations in which the mother’s life is endangered by the pregnancy.
Grogan said that, unlike last time, he reserved a space to preach in front of the SUB. He said he scheduled the time and space for around 1 p.m..
Student Activities Center Director Debbie Morris said she was not aware of who Grogan was until after her office had reserved the space for him. But she said there would have been no reason to deny him the space regardless.
“If I have a legal reason to deny somebody access, that’s the only time we can not schedule somebody,” she said.
Morris said she told police about Grogan’s scheduled protest because of the nature of his speaking.
“I notified police anyway just because today is kind of tense,” she said. “We’re trying to make sure everyone expresses their opinions, but it doesn’t get out of hand.”
The police notified her as to who Grogan was after she told them his name, Morris said. She said police monitored the situation.
Grogan said he hopes to start his own anti-abortion organization called Operation Stop Abortion in Albuquerque.
“Hopefully it can be birthed today,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for years to start it.”
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Grogan said the election would be historical and encouraged onlookers to vote in favor of the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Ordinance. He said passing this ordinance could help change laws nationwide.
“This is a law that we can duplicate across the cities of America,” he said. “This can be a chain reaction, a domino effect that will sweep America.”
Grogan said passing the ordinance would be the first step in abolishing abortion.
“See, it starts at 20 weeks — no abortions after 20 weeks,” he said. “But make no mistake where we’re going.”
