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Church of Planned Parenthood Barred from Holding Events Outside Clinic

Doug Nadvornick/SPR

An anti-abortion church known for holding loud church services outside of Spokane’s Planned Parenthood Clinic will no longer be allowed to protest outside the clinic’s doors after a judge granted a permanent injunction against the group.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho argued the group’s noise level was violating a state statute barring people from interfering with or disrupting care at a healthcare facility, according to a news release from the healthcare non-profit. On Wednesday, a judge agreed.

The ruling is a part of a larger legal battle between the Spokane Planned Parenthood Clinic and Covenant Church, whose leaders organize Church at Planned Parenthood events.

The church has argued the services are within their First Amendment rights.

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Rebecca White is a 2018 graduate of Edward R Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. She's been a reporter at Spokane Public Radio since February 2021. She got her start interning at her hometown paper The Dayton Chronicle and previously covered county government at The Spokesman-Review.