America's largest abortion clinic opened Tuesday amid peaceful protests by pro-life activists who had charged the group behind the facility of defrauding the city when it applied for building permits.
The Planned Parenthood clinic, which spans 22,000 square feet and cost $7.5 million, began operation in Aurora, Ill., after receiving an occupancy permit on Monday. The clinic had been forced to close for two weeks, pending an investigation by city officials to determine whether the organization had violated local laws when it used the name of its subsidiary Gemini Office Development LLC to apply for building permits.
City residents and the pro-life group Pro-Life Action League had protested Planned Parenthood's new facility, saying they felt the organisation deceived the city and should not therefore be granted any permits.
Aurora mayor Tom Weisner also admitted that Planned Parenthood "was less than forthcoming" in handling the situation but said there was "no legal basis" to deny the permit.
Kane County State Attorney John Barsanti, who reviewed the case, stated Monday that Planned Parenthood had "committed no criminal action."
Immediately following the decision, Eric Scheidler, an Aurora resident and spokesperson for Pro-Life Action League, filed an emergency appeal.
The appeal asks the city of Aurora "to revoke all permits and deny permits filed in this case," Peter Breen, a Thomas More Society lawyer who filed the appeal on behalf of Scheidler, told LifeSiteNews.com.
Since Planned Parenthood is a not-for-profit, it required a special-use permit that would have required a public hearing and notification of nearby property owners, the appeal argues.
