Planned Parenthood in Overland Park KS has been dealing all week with an infestation of orange-vest wearing clods pretending to be utility/municipal workers so they can attempt to stop cars entering the parking lot and distribute brochures.
As you can see in the picture, they look pretty official. Someone like that approaching the driver's side window, waving and signaling to roll down the window, many people are going to comply. It's a sneaky but effective tactic.
Which is where I come in.
If there's no one opposing them, the tactic works well. They're not holding signs so nothing about them screams “Protester!” It's easy to think it might be someone warning of a gas leak or other hazard.
But when I'm sitting across the drive with my PRO WOMEN - PRO CHOICE sign, yelling “Don't stop - keep going - these clowns have nothing you need!” it's WAY harder for them to pull off.
We're not sure who their sponsoring group is. Thinking their presence is connected to it being Mother's Day week. Might get REAL interesting since Saturday is traditionally the big day for protesters/defenders to come out and play.
Tried to get there early this morning so I could stake out my place on the driver's side of the entrance, but these clowns were real eager beavers and showed up while I was still sitting in my car and beat me to it. So tomorrow I'm going to get there a half-hour earlier and nab it. The orange vest trick doesn't work very well without unimpeded access to the driver's side window. So I'm gonna impede them.
Fortunately, these aren't the brightest people. They kept smiling and waving at people driving by, which kinda put paid to the idea they were there to warn people of danger.
And one particularly dumb one kept approaching cars with the brochure already in his hand. Utility worhers in safety vests don't distribute brochures, dumbass.
The takeaway? ONE defender is all it takes to counter this tactic. With people on both sides of the drives and one side holding signs, it's much more obvious it's a protest. Once I was there, the number of cars stopping for them plummeted.
You can catch video of clinic defense operations on the Kansas City Clarity channel on YouTube or TikTok.
Fight the power!