Police stopped pro-life groups Saturday from painting “Black Preborn Lives Matter” on the street in front of a Washington, D.C., Planned Parenthood clinic and subsequently arrested two for writing the message in chalk on a sidewalk, even though the activists said they had the District government’s permission for the street painting. Students for Life of America leaders said they informed police and city officials during the permit process that they would be painting the message on the 1200 block of 4th Street NE, citing the precedent of the protesters who painted “Defund the Police” in June on 16th Street NW.
“We were told verbally that we would not be prevented from painting and what kind of paint to buy,” said Students for Life spokesperson Kristi Hamrick in an email, adding that the group was told to use non-permanent tempera paint.
Even so, video released Saturday morning showed officers telling two activists from Students for Life to stop writing “Black Preborn Lives Matter” in chalk on the sidewalk in front of the Planned Parenthood facility, and then arresting them when they refused.
Alaina Gertz, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department, said that the group had obtained a permit to hold a rally in front of the Planned Parenthood facility, but not to paint the street.