A long vigil continues

in Northeast Portland

     PORTLAND — It was an event Feb. 14 that many of those standing on the sidewalks had hoped and prayed would never come — the opening in Northeast Portland of a new Planned Parenthood regional headquarters that will offer abortion services.
     But the people behind Precious Children of Portland, a group largely comprised of Christians, showed up during the new facility’s grand opening to continue the prayerful protests that they had frequently offered for more than two years at the $12.5 million building’s site on Northeast MLK Jr. Blvd.

      Now that the facility has opened, the group’s prayers shifted to a focus on seeing abortion services halted as soon as possible.
    “Like any good boxer, we’re here to counterpunch in the name of Jesus,” said Isham Harris, a local pastor who addressed the group and helped Bill Diss, founder of Precious Children of Portland, lead in singing praise and worship songs.
    Security was tight during the afternoon, as police took pains to keep the protesters, standing along the boulevard on the building’s east side, well separated from those arriving at the facility’s west entrance for the grand opening. Cecile Richards, national president of Planned Parenthood, attended the opening.
    Diss’s group sharply criticizes the agency, charging that it is deliberately targeting the African-American community for abortions by putting the new building in an area that is home to many Black residents. For more information, see www.preciouschildrenofportland.org.