JACKSON, Miss., March 7, 2012/Christian Newswire --
Yesterday, two college-age members of the Survivors Campus Life Tour were arrested on a public sidewalk outside of Murrah High School in Jackson, Mississippi, while distributing literature to students in front of the campus.
The group of pro-life youth activists first attempted to hold signs, distribute literature, and peacefully dialogue with students on the public sidewalk on Monday. Jackson School Police Officers immediately confronted the group and moved their signs across the street, sequestered students back inside the school grounds, and ordered students not to take the literature being handed out or speak with the demonstrators. The police claimed that the sidewalk belonged to the school and that they had a right to remove the pro-life activists. At the same time, the Survivors observed that the same sidewalk they were denied access to was being used by passersby and joggers.
After conferring with their attorneys from the Life Legal Defense Foundation (LLDF), the Campus Life Team returned to the public sidewalk in front of Murrah High School yesterday. When the police told the activists to leave the sidewalk or go to jail, Kristina Garza and Brianna Baxter remained, and were immediately arrested.
"Law enforcement officers and officers of the court are charged with protecting our civil liberties, but in this case they are intentionally conspiring to subvert the legal process and deny these pro-life advocates their right to due process of law," said Dana Cody, executive director of Life Legal Defense Foundation. "Rest assured, everyone involved in the miscarriage of justice will be held accountable for their misdeeds."
See video of the pro-life activists' activities and the response they got here.
