DALLAS - Despite a recent expansion in abortion services available in North Texas, pro-life groups say they will continue to protest a practice they believe is immoral.
An expanded clinic now offers controversial, late-term abortions for women who are up to six months' pregnant.
On Saturday, protesters gathered to call attention to the estimated 300,000 pregnancies terminated at the old location.
Gloria Ramirez knows the spot well. At least 18 times previously, she clutched her rosary beads while standing in front of the Fairmont Women's Clinic trying to convince pregnant women there are alternatives to abortion.
"During my time here, I have seen about two or three turnarounds that have changed their minds," she said. "To me, that's significant."
If she is to continue to her efforts, Ramirez will need to take her appeals to the Fairmont's new location.
The expanded center is now called the Southwestern Women's Surgery Center at Royal Lane and Greenville Avenue. It's run by 72-year old Dr. Curtis Boyd.
Larger surgery suites in the new location allow for late-term abortions at a time during pregnancy when the fetus is viable.
"Before this opened, they're flying to Albuquerque; they were flying to Kansas; flying to Colorado. Sometimes they went to Atlanta," Boyd said. "So there are women who desperately need and want this service, and it wasn't available."
Ramirez says the Catholic faith pushes her to protest abortions, including late-term abortions.
"It's atrocious, you know. And I think somebody needs to speak for these babies," she said.
On Saturday evening, Ramirez and other protesters laid flowers in front of the old clinic in memory of all the pregancies that ended there.
"Even though this place is relocated to another horrible place, we will perserve in prayer that one-by-one - just as this is no longer killing children - one-by-one, there will longer be any bloodshed of the innocent unborn in our city," said Karen Garnett, executive director of the Catholic Pro-Life Committee.
The Fairmont Clinic was one of the nation's first clinics to offer legal abortions. It opened one month after the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 made abortion legal.
The case originated in Dallas.
