Anti-Abortion Demonstrators Coming to Carroll, Harford Counties

Early Tuesday morning, outside  , a few dozen demonstrators carried signs depicting aborted fetuses.  

But Lindsey Creekmore, one of two nurses at the clinic run by late-term abortion provider Dr. LeRoy Carhart, said the signs didn't prevent patients from making their appointments. 

"Basically, all they were doing was making these girls even more scared than they already were. They're already making the most difficult decision of their lives," Creekmore said. 

She said the photographic images protesters carried were not accurate. "No, not at all. At our clinic, at least, the way we do the procedure is totally different," she said. 

The demonstration was part of the 11th Annual Face the Truth Tour, organized by , a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization. The tour has swept West Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland since July 25. 

On Thursday and Friday, it will travel to Towson, Westminster, North Baltimore, White Marsh,  and Hanover, PA. 

Maggie Egger, a 20-year-old student studying political science at the University of Richmond, has been one of the tour's main coordinators. "The whole point is to tell the truth and show the reality of abortion," Egger said.

A core group of about 28 people travel in the tour, although they are generally joined by 10-40 local activists, she said. 

The response from drivers during protests is generally negative, Egger said. "It's really controversial," she said. "People generally don't want to talk about it." 

"It's hard to actually see the impact we're having ... people are driving by at 35 miles per hour at least," she said. "But you just never know. A couple of people have stopped and said that we changed their minds about abortion."  

Most tour stops are planned near high-traffic intersections or shopping centers. 

"We're allowed to protest there because of the First Amendment. We never go on private property," Egger said. 

The demonstrators will be protesting in Westminster from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the corner Main Street and Railroad Avenue. 

Westminster Police Chief Jeffrey Spaulding said that he is not aware of any counter demonstrators but will be prepared should that occur. 

"Typically (the demonstrators) have very large graphic signs that they use in that effort," Spaulding said. "We will have several members of my staff on site to make sure everything goes as planned and in a safe manner. As typically is the case, they will come and they will go."