Deception or Necessary Precaution?

Sept. 19, 2007 — -- In the leafy community of Aurora, Ill., nestled between the supermarket and a housing development, sits the epicenter of the current battle over abortion.

For more than a month now, anti-abortion activists have held round-the-clock vigils to prevent the opening of Planned Parenthood's largest medical clinic in the country.

Some residents and city leaders feel deceived because, through much of the building process, the property owner was listed as Gemini Office Development, and not Planned Parenthood.

"This is their new strategy. They know they're not welcome. Nobody wants an abortion clinic in their backyard," Eric Scheidler of the Pro Life Action League told ABC's Barbara Pinto.

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Planned Parenthood denies they've deceived anyone. "Planned Parenthood was entirely truthful, and followed the letter of the law in opening this facility," said Steve Trombley, president of Planned Parenthood's Chicago office.

The group said it purposely didn't put its name on the project for safety reasons, using the name of one of its divisions instead after workers at a Texas clinic came under attack.

"These same protesters from around the country harassed folks who were pouring concrete," said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

The clinic is intended to provide counseling and a number of medical services, in addition to abortions, and now, a federal judge will decide whether they can open the facility. The city is also investigating its permit process.

"None of the city officials or elected officials were aware that Planned Parenthood would be the tenant in this building," said Aurora's public information officer, Carie Ann Ergo.

They say they were unaware, even though the plans included a surgical center, bulletproof glass and numerous security cameras.

In the meantime, those in the neighborhood have grown weary of the national attention and the protests.