Laconia -- Vandalism (6 incidents) and Destruction of Property        Pro-abortionists demand the right to speak, but routinely deny this right to those who disagree with them. There have been scores of instances of pro-abortionists destroying pro-life displays and signs all across North America. If a pro-lifer vandalized a pro-abortion display, the pro-aborts would call it "terrorism."        The Respect Life Committee of St. Joseph Catholic Church of Laconia erected a pro-life sign along the North side of Route 106, about one-half mile South of the Belmont-Laconia line. Pro-abortionists did not like the sign, so they repeatedly destroyed and vandalized it since it was put up in 1995.        In the November 2001 incident, a pro-abortionist ripped the sign off the billboard and stole it. They spraypainted a female symbol and the message "We have a right to choose" on the billboard.        Pat Kiefer, co-chair of the Respect Life Committee, said that "The most disturbing part to us is that those who feel abortion is a viable option in this area use the phrase `pro-choice' to describe themselves, yet whoever they are, they seem to feel that the choice is only viable if you believe what they do. They aren't allowing the pro-life side. It's sad that people aren't even willing to let the visible defense of human life be shown in the community and that it is so upsetting to them that they have to rip it down and destroy it. I thought people would at least be tolerant of our point of view."        Belmont Police Chief David Nielsen said that while he wouldn't describe the vandalism as constant, the sign has been damaged "numerous times."        Geoff Cunningham. "Route 106 Sign Vandalized Anew: Group Says Act Violates Their Right to Voice Opposition to Abortion." The New Hampshire Citizen, November 15, 2001; "New Hampshire Pro-Life Sign Repeatedly Vandalized." Steven Ertelt's Pro-Life Infonet at http://www.prolifeinfo.org/infonet.html, November 16, 2001. back to top Portsmouth -- Assault (4 incidents)        On Thursday evening, May 14, 1998, at 6:00 p.m., Steven Mears, Debbie Mears, and Kathy Dufton arrived at Barnstormer's Restaurant, located on the former Pease Air Force Base and current Pease Port Authority, to protest the NARRAL [National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League] "Chocolates for Choice" Fundraiser. After a few minutes, two Portsmouth Police Officers, identified as Officers Todd Horne and Cashman, told the picketers to turn their signs away from the restaurant or cross the street, when a man in a white shirt who identified himself as an owner of Barnstormers Restaurant complained to the officers about the picketers. Horne was later identified as a paid security guard for the former Portsmouth abortuary. Steven Mears informed the officers that it was a public sidewalk and that they had picketed there previously many times without incident. Officer Horne replied: "I don't care." He appeared to get very agitated and threatened Steven and Debbie Mears with arrest if they did not cross the street. Steven Mears asserted the group's first amendment right to protest the event and claimed such censorship was content driven discrimination. The two officers then immediately started pushing and shoving the protestors off the sidewalk and across the street into the oncoming 5 lanes of 6:00 PM rush hour traffic. As Kathy Dufton and Steven Mears were being pushed over to the other side of the street by Officers Horne and Cashman, Debbie Mears walked away from the restaurant and towards the crosswalk to cross the street when Officer Horne yelled at her that she had 30 seconds to cross the street. Kathy Dufton and Kathy Bean, who did not hear of the original request to face their signs away from the restaurant, faced their signs towards the traffic and the restaurant. The two officers then immediately crossed back over the street and made a grab for the signs. Debbie Mears attempted to use her camera to take a picture of the Officers doing this. Officer Horne then grabbed Debbie Mears by the wrist and twisted it, fracturing her wrist and forcing her to drop her sign. She kneeled down on it, and raised her hands above her head, saying repeatedly "I will not resist you! I am not resisting arrest! I will not resist you!" The officers then grabbed the other signs and returned to Debbie Mears. Officer Horne then took her sunglasses off, and sprayed her in the face with pepper spray. Debbie Mears fell back onto the ground, while Officer Horne cuffed her in the front. After Debbie Mears had been sprayed, Steven Mears was heard to say "Please don't hurt my wife." Officer Cashman grabbed Steven Mears from behind as he (Cashman) pulled out his nightstick and made a motion as if he was about to beat Steven Mears. A surprised Steven Mears exclaimed, "Oh, Now you're going to beat me?" Steven Mears was then pushed face first into the ground and handcuffed from behind. Neither Steven nor Debbie Mears resisted arrest. During all this Kathy Dufton and Kathy Bean were pleading with the Police is disbelief: "Why are you doing this?" As Officer Cashman tried to take Kathy Bean's sign, she said: "You said you just wanted us to stay across the street with the signs. We are where you wanted us." He kept pulling at the sign so Kathy Bean then tried to put her large sign of Baby Malachi back in her van, but Officer Cashman grabbed the sign, and threatened to arrest her if she did not let go of it. At this time Kathy Bean asked Debbie if she wanted her to take Debbie's camera. Debbie said yes, but then Officer Horne took the camera off of Debbie Mears' neck while Officer Cashman went after Kathy Bean yelling at her to "Get out of here!" He then grabbed Kathy Bean when she reached her vehicle, and started to handcuff her when Officer Horne said to let her go, "We have the couple". Kathy Bean then left the scene. Then the Police proceeded to destroy the four large Baby Malachi signs. On Thursday Night, the WMUR TV 11:00 p.m. news, edited by pro-abortion NARRAL supporter Karen Brown, gleefully reported that abortion protestors Steve and Debbie Mears had been arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after police asked them to leave, and that pepper spray was used on Debbie Mears, but that the NARRAL fundraiser went on as planned. No comment was made to the facts of the assault by police on the protestors. State Senator Burt Cohen was later quoted as saying something to the effect as the protestors got what they deserved.        Mike Gagnon, Chairman, New Hampshire Right to Life (courtesy NHRTL News Service). Portsmouth Area [Greenland] -- Assault (3 incidents) and Reckless Conduct        On August 2, 1989, pro-abortionist Thomas Sanford was charged with reckless conduct due to his activities at the New Hampshire Feminist Womens Health Center (FWHC) abortion mill. Sanford and another pro-abortionist threw rocks and smoke bombs at pro-lifers Deborah Mears, Ralph Poland, and David Homich, and one of the assailants carried a rifle.        "Man Charged With Misdemeanor After Anti-Abortion Altercation." Manchester Union Leader, August 2, 1989. back to top Return To State By State Documentation © 2003 Abortion Violence