Times on august 4th of 1991. quote, the one story clinic, women s health care services, run by doctor george artillery, has become the lightning rod for the battle. and quote. in what became known as the summer of mercy, thousands of members of an anti abortion group called operation rescue descended on the city of wichita for months, using their bodies to physically block access to abortion clinics, often while screaming threats and prayers at the clinics workers and patients. thousands of protesters were arrested and took a quarter of wichita s entire police force to control the crowds. as the new york times reported at the time, quote, the protesters say the confrontation here is the beginning of the fight that is building as the supreme court moves closer, they, say to overturning roe v. wade, the decision that legalized abortion in 1973. and quote. that was also the summer that our next guest started working at that very
Abortion clinic in wichita on a summer break from college. every other abortion clinic in wichita had closed because of the continued harassment, but women s health care services did not. doctor george tillar and kept it open for nearly two more decades, despite it all. then on may 31st 2009, the only remaining abortion provider in the entire city of wichita kansas, doctor george taylor was shot in the head and killed by an antiabortion extremist. for about four years after the murder of george tillar, 400,000 people of wichita had no abortion providers. other doctors were understandably scared off by threats and harassment that women s health care services clinic shutdown. but in 2013, julie burke are reopened. because doctors did not feel comfortable living in which a top given its violent history with abortion providers she later opened a second
Wichita had closed because of the continued harassment. but women s health care services did not. dr. george tiller and judy burkehart kept it open for nearly two more decades. despite if all. then on may 31, 2009, the only remaining abortion provider in the entire city of wichita, dr. george tiller, was shot in the head and killed by an anti-abortion extremist. and for about four years after the murder of george tiller, the 400,000 people of wichita had no abortion provider between them. other doctors were understandably scared off by threats and harassments. and the women s health care services clinic shut down. but in 2013, julie burkehart reopened it. because doctors didn t feel comfortable living in wichita give its violent history toward abortion providers, she flew them in. she later opened a second clinic oklahoma city, the first new abortion clinic in the state of oklahoma in more than 40 years.