This is one of the last places in the South
where you can legally get an abortion.
It's your body.
We are still free here in North Carolina.
We are still free.
But that doesn't mean it's easy.
They're not with the clinic.
No clínica.
Advocates say they're up against
well-funded organizations
that are using religion
and misinformation to intimidate
and harass patients.
You don't think it's traumatic,
jumping at someone's car as they're coming
to a medical appointment?
You think having an abortion is trauma?
You are being traumatic to them.
As volunteers stand on the front lines
to create a safe space for patients,
anti-abortion protesters
are buying up property
around their clinic.
You literally can be,
have one foot on our property
and one foot on their property.
That's how close we are.
They're not just testing
the limits of physical boundaries.
For years,
this group was pushing the boundaries
of what's allowed under charitable law.
Mr. Reeder,
why are you still collecting
charity donations
when your license was denied last year?
We're in North Carolina
to find out
how people are organizing
to defend abortion rights in the South,
and how anti-abortion protesters
are growing emboldened by the day.
Because you are the bait of Satan.
You are the child of the devil,
and the devil does nothing but lie.
It's not a baby 'til it's born, Arlene.
It's not a baby 'til it's born.
Young woman, come get some help!
No!
She literally saw your pamphlet and chose
not to come down here.
Shannon coordinates volunteers
at one of the busiest abortion clinics
in the Southeast for protesters.
Go this way.
Come on, you got this.
There's some days I
do not want to come out here
because I'm not emotionally ready
for what's going to happen when I'm out here.
Young woman, you don't have to go in there.
There's real help out here.
Do you not think there's
real help in there?
This is the next frontier
of the anti-abortion movement in America:
Protesters skirting already weak
laws around access
in order to prevent clinics
from providing services.
They are not a part of the clinic, ma'am.
They are not a part of the clinic.
Just come on in.
Most of these protesters
are representing a charity called Love Life.
It's an evangelical Christian charity
that was founded by a group of men
who say they have
more of a place in this debate
than anyone else.
Men, show up.
Because the truth is
that this is more of a man's issue
than it is a woman's issue.
That's Justin Reeder,
the president and founder of Love Life.
In 2017, he vowed to shut down this clinic.
Everyone's going to know about Latrobe Drive,
because when this place closes,
not if, but when,
we're going to buy the building.
The group has come extremely close
to making good on that promise.
In 2018,
Love Life purchased the property
right next to the abortion clinic.
And they've used that space
to their tactical advantage.
Take a look at this aerial view.
The clinic is here.
Right next to it is the admin building.
And right next to that
is Love Life's property.
People are listening to Google Maps,
and you just see the person, see this
and think that's [it], and turn left into it.
And once they get in there,
we can't get on this property.
You can pull over if you want to talk.
You can't block the street.
During filming,
we watched as a patient wandered
from the parking lot
and appeared to be confused
about where she was supposed to be going.
She did not speak English.
No, no, no, no, don't listen.
Come with me.
Come on, come on.
Clínica?
Appointment at clínica?
Clínica, no.
No, no, no.
Do not touch her.
You cannot touch someone. No, ma'am.
No, no, no, no.
They're not with the clinic.
No clínica!
No, no, no, no clínica.
In the confusion,
she was led to a
mobile crisis pregnancy center
parked outside the clinic.
We later asked Vicky Kaseorg,
the Love Life member
who ushered the young woman onto the bus,
if she wanted to talk about
exactly what kinds of help
they were offering.
I see what happens whenever we talk, so...
What happens?
Well, the words are twisted and cut and pasted
and turned to suit an agenda,
and I don't want to be a part of that.
So thanks so much.
You can go to LoveLife.org though,
if you want to find out about us.
Yeah, I mean, you're the best person to ask,
I think, because you're,
you guys are out here
representing Love Life.
What kinds of resources do you offer
for women?
Go to LoveLife.org - it’s all there.
It's not.
What are the resources specifically
that you offer for women?
I’m sorry. I don’t want to speak to you.
Sorry.
Have a good day though!
A spokesperson later told us
they primarily work with churches,
maternity houses
and other third-party resources
to support moms to be.
But defender Kristina,
who when she became pregnant as a teen
was put through a similar program,
believes they might be misleading patients
to achieve their end goal.
All they have to do is get you away from the clinic.
If you are teetering on
being at the point where you
could be turned away
because you're too far along
and they get you
pulled away from the clinic,
and then it's a week
to schedule a sit-down
lunch meeting with them,
and then a couple of days
for you to process this, and 72 hours
to get you back into the clinic.
And before you know it, you're past the period
where you're allowed
to access abortion in your state.
They've won.
They've got what they wanted.
Massive amounts of money
are funding these operations.
Love Life reported over
$2 million in donations in 2021.
Almost $1 million of that
went toward salaries,
including to people who stand out here
to protest.
Your precious little baby,
like all human beings,
is made in God's holy image.
And he has a plan and a purpose for you
and a plan and a purpose...
Calla Hales oversees
four abortion clinics
in Georgia and North Carolina,
including this one.
Within the last few weeks, Calla says
Love Life has cut down trees next door,
which means their loudspeaker
sermons are even easier to hear.
We're in the front of the admin building,
but it is this clear
because there are no trees anymore -
just as clear next door
in the actual clinic itself.
Like, patients can always hear this.
So we just use the vuvuzelas
and the cowbells and stuff to kind of just like
drown them out.
So it just sounds like noise.
That's all [the patients] hear.
You're not hearing the murder
and all of the terrible things
that they say to people.
[Loudspeaker:] The only way that this thing
could continue ...
It's hard if you haven't been out here
to understand why we do what we do.
It's just the tactics have to change based on
not only the clinic itself,
but the protesters.
Every day there's different groups of people,
and we've got to handle them
the best way we know how.
Francine! After I helped you up last week,
and this is how I get rewarded.
Oh, it's not, it's not ...
I don't know that I believe that.
It's not personal, it's general.
OK, general.
Abortion kills children.
That seems pretty personal, direct.
Laws regulate protest activity
outside abortion clinics,
but advocates say they don't do enough.
Good morning, sir.
I just want to give you a heads-up.
I dug up the stake.
I'm just letting you know.
Alright.
But just letting you know
that if they cross over that,
we allow you
the option to take a report.
And we are going to.
Calla says the police won't charge
anyone with trespassing
because there's still a dispute over
exactly where the property
line for the clinic begins.
He said they're not going to
criminally enforce anything
until they get that.
We can opt to have a report.
We can opt to ban them,
but they're not gonna...
OK, well.
We'll just if ... it's OK.
Days like today show
just how much Shannon and Calla are out here
fending for themselves.
Anything else you need from me?
Not right now.
Anything you need from me?
Brains and patience. Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Other than that ... Alright.
We asked Daniel Parks,
West Coast regional shepherd of Love Life,
what the point of being
so close to the clinic is.
Can you talk to me about why Love Life
bought the property
right next door to this abortion clinic?
So that we can do what
the Lord has called us to do
in the most effective way possible.
We believe that proximity is important,
that the women that come here
need to have someone here
offering them help and hope.
And the proximity to the abortion center
is helpful for us to that end.
This is the land of the free, right?
Sure.
So why aren't these people free to choose
to have an abortion?
I mean, they actually are.
They're actually doing it right now.
Folks from Love Life
make it very difficult, though.
They don't make it very free
because a lot of protection
and security and organization
has to happen
in order for patients
to be able to access the building.
These people out here in the vests and whatnot,
with their rhetoric and with their
zeal to protect abortion,
are causing more issues and trauma
for these women than we are.
Your presence contributes to that, though.
My understanding is
these people wouldn't be here
if you guys weren't here.
I mean, they're pro-choice.
They choose to be here.
I don't force anyone to be here.
No, but you're saying, like,
why are these people here doing this?
They're more traumatizing
than what you guys are doing.
But they wouldn't even be here
if you weren't here.
OK.
I mean, that's their choice.
But what I'm saying is,
if you want me to believe
that what they're doing
is helping these women
and it's legitimizing abortion as health care,
I'm telling you it's not.
The pinnacle of events at Love Life
happens on Saturdays
when people gather to pray
in front of the clinic,
although it looks very little
like something peaceful or even reverent.
[Volunteer:] You are disgusting, people.
Glory to the King!
They're using you!
They're using your Black bodies.
Tina Marshall is a volunteer
who also runs the Black Abortion Defense League.
There's a whole lot of white folks out here
telling us what to do,
how to do it with our bodies.
Being anti-abortion promotes
the legacy of American slavery.
It's forced, it's forced childbirth.
I can counter
their beliefs of what Black people are
and Black women are,
and that you can't
weaponize religion against me.
You know, I don't care what they say.
I really don't.
I'm here to protect my people.
Hold your head up.
You're not doing anything wrong.
It's your body.
You do what you want.
You do what you need.
It's your body.
We are still free here in North Carolina.
We are still free.
In the course of reporting this story,
we learned that Love Life
was denied a charitable license
to operate in the state of North Carolina in 2021
and had never applied prior.
That means they were violating
charitable law for years,
while still collecting donations on their website.
We reached out to Mr. Reeder
several times for an interview,
but he didn't respond.
So when we saw that he'd arrived
at the lot next door during filming,
we tried to ask him again
to answer some of our questions.
I understand,
but I am doing a story
that's reporting on the relationship
between Love Life and this clinic.
You guys are on our property right now.
OK. I don't want to trespass,
but I do want to respectfully ask
for an interview.
We are doing a story on this.
And I just want to give you
all an opportunity to respond,
because that's what's fair, right?
Yeah, sure.
Daniel, I believe, has already spoken
to you guys, correct?
He did. But you're the president
and founder of Love Life.
You seem like the best person
to be able to respond to questions.
Look...
Yeah, Daniel's been involved
in this ministry
for a long time.
He gave you guys your answers, so...
Mr. Reeder,
why are you still collecting
charity donations
when your license was denied last year?
I have,
I have a copy of the document here.
This is a publicly available document.
You guys can get off our property, please.
This is why we don't talk to you.
This why we don't do this stuff
because you guys do
silly things like this.
This is from the state.
Have you seen this document?
This is a publicly available document.
It's also publicly available
that we are a 501(c)(3).
And as a 501(c)(3) in North Carolina,
you need to register for a charity license
to solicit donations.
I will call the cops if you don't get off...
We are asking you very nicely.
Please get off of our property.
You're actually trespassing right now.
Days after we questioned Mr. Reeder,
Love Life submitted an application
and is now currently licensed
in the state of North Carolina.
God bless you guys.
Back at the clinic,
the work continues
to create a safe space
for patients and volunteers,
even on their days off.
We kind of just help
do things around the clinic
that they're not able to do –
the people that work here –
because they don't have the time
or energy,
because if you're coming to work
every day
and being yelled at by protesters,
you want to leave
at the end of the day.
What does it mean to you to be
out here volunteering with these folks?
We're family.
I mean, and they mean the world to me.
I mean, we truly are a family.
It's something,
especially when you've got such a
difficult time dealing with the antis.
Just having them is great. It's great.
At a time when it remains unclear
with the future of reproductive rights
in America looks like,
these defenders want people to know
they'll be here no matter what.
With Roe, without Roe,
there will be people out here
willing to protect them and shield them.
And if we can get one person
in and out of their appointment
without receiving medical misinformation
and without being shamed or harassed,
it is worth hours
out in the sun,
hours out in the cold and the rain,
all of that stuff.
It's even worth
our own personal trauma
that we experience.
No matter what,
there is going to be clinic defenders
outside of clinics
trying to make sure
that they're protected
and that they're safe.