South Bend, IN – The Center for Bioethical Reform yesterday flew an airplane over Notre Dame towing a large banner with a photo of an aborted baby. Operation Rescue praised the bold move and is working with CBR to mount public opposition to President Obama’s scheduled speech there on May 17.

In addition to the aerial protest, others have been expressing their displeasure that a stalwart Catholic institution would compromise church teaching and invite a man who radically supports killing children in the womb.

• Mary Ann Glendon, a Harvard University Law Professor and former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, has refused to accept an award from Notre Dame, citing Obama’s support for abortion.
• A Notre Dame alumni group is reporting that their 900 members will not be giving $8.2 million in donations to the school in protest to the Obama appearance.
• A group called Pray Daily America has called for Notre Dame’s President, Fr. John Jenkins, to resign over the scandal.

“This is truly a grassroots movement that continues to grow,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “We may not be able to stop Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame, but we can send the message loud and clear that there are serious moral, spiritual, and practical consequences to stubbornly embracing the sin of abortion.”

Click here to contribute to our Notre Dame Protest project.

Washington, DC – Kathleen Sebelius was sworn in yesterday as the new head of the Department of Health and Human Services after seven weeks of delay, hours of contentious debate in the Senate, and a narrow vote.

“We must remember that even though we did not block Sebelius’ confirmation, we started out this process with essentially no opposition to her. She was a shoe-in that was expected to quickly sail through the confirmation process,” said OR President Troy Newman. “I remember praying that we could get just one senator to vote against her at the committee level, and even that seemed like a daunting task. In the end 31 senators voted against her. She needed 60 votes to be confirmed, and she only got 65. We were successful at making her nomination all about abortion, especially late-term abortions that are opposed by 88% of the public. We were also able to expose Sebelius’ friend and benefactor, late-term abortionist George Tiller, on a national level.

“Because of this, Sebelius has become damaged political goods,” said Newman. “She is going into one of the most important positions in our government with a radical agenda, but with clipped wings that could impede her ability to implement that agenda. That alone is a small victory for us.”

Bellevue, NE – Operation Rescue’s Truth Truck, driven by Rescue the Heartland’s Larry Donlan, has shaken a neighborhood where an abortion clinic worker lives. After Federal Court Judge Richard Kopf ordered police to stop arresting peaceful protesters who were not breaking the law, the City of Bellevue passed another ordinance limiting free speech activities in neighborhoods. As a result, instead of small groups praying throughout the neighborhood, Donlan has driven the Truth Truck with its large panels with photos of aborted babies up and down the streets.

One neighbor was so incensed by the Truth Truck’s presence that he laid down in the street to block it. He was arrested by police.

“It seems like lying in the street would be the least effective strategy to get the Truth Trucks out of his neighborhood,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “There is the first tendency to be angry with the messenger, but eventually people begin to realize that is it the abortionists that they should be upset with. We commend Larry Donlan for his courage in stirring up the community and encouraging a dialogue on abortion.”