40 Days for Life directors call Planned Parenthood's controversial Iowa telemed (webcam) abortion rollout a "failed experiment"

Contact: David Bereit, 40 Days for Life, 202-280-8993

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- "On March 1, Planned Parenthood's failed telemed abortion facilities in Storm Lake and Knoxville, Iowa are closing forever, thanks in part to the hard work and prayers of hundreds of faithful Iowa pro-lifers who participated in 40 Days for Life campaigns outside each facility's doors," said David Bereit, national director of 40 Days for Life.

Bereit, along with 40 Days for Life campaign director Shawn Carney, will speak at events celebrating the closure of the Planned Parenthood telemed abortion facilities in Storm Lake and Knoxville this Thursday and Friday, March 1 and 2. They will also visit 40 Days for Life campaigns in the Des Moines area.

Bereit said, "Regrettably, Planned Parenthood exploited Iowa women as guinea pigs in the abortion chain's experimental rollout of telemed abortions in an effort to expand abortions across the state, despite the fatalities and complications caused by the abortion drug used in the procedure. The closure of these two facilities demonstrates that Planned Parenthood's abortion expansion scheme has failed and should be immediately halted."

In Storm Lake, Bereit and Carney will be joined by Sue Thayer, the former manager of the Planned Parenthood center there, who led a 40 Days for Life campaign outside the facility last fall. Planned Parenthood had fired Thayer after she objected to the telemed abortion project. Here is Bereit and Carney's Iowa events schedule:

Thursday, March 1:

• 40 Days for Life visit outside Planned Parenthood surgical abortion facility
  10:15 - 11:15 AM in the public right-of-way at 1000 East Army Post Road, Des Moines, Iowa
   
• 40 Days for Life visit outside Planned Parenthood webcam abortion center
  12:00 - 1:00PM in the public right-of-way at 10534 New York Avenue, Urbandale, Iowa
   
• Storm Lake Victory Celebration (with Sue Thayer)
  6:00 - 7:00 PM in the public right-of-way outside the closed Planned Parenthood, 720 Erie Street, Storm Lake, Iowa

Friday, March 2:

• Knoxville Victory Celebration
  8:45 - 9:15 AM in the public right-of-way outside the closed Planned Parenthood at 909 West Pleasant Street, Knoxville, Iowa

40 Days for Life consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion, 40 days of constant, peaceful vigil outside abortion centers and Planned Parenthood offices and 40 days of pro-life community outreach. 258 locations in the United States and six other countries are currently conducting 40 Days for Life campaigns. The list of participating communities is posted online at: www.40daysforlife.com/location.