Fears that protests over Alabama’s new abortion ban would turn violent have proven unfounded, police departments in the state say.
“The bottom line is that as of now, the law change has not directly affected our agency and we have not seen a need for change in any of our current efforts,” Capt. George A. Beaudry Sr., a spokesman for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, told The Washington Times.
Thousands of protesters and supporters have flocked to the state in the wake of Alabama’s law, which bans abortions except in cases of risk to the mother’s life or serious danger to her health. Gov. Kay Ivey signed it this month, and it takes effect in six months.
Doctors performing illegal abortions face up to 99 years in prison under the law, created as a challenge to the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.
The FBI last week, in announcing new hate crimes numbers, said it is seeing a rise in domestic terrorism cases, with abortion being one noteworthy flash point.
But a spokeswoman for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, a statewide police department, said the demonstrations have been peaceful.
In Huntsville, Lt. Donny Shaw, a spokesman for the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, said the biggest issue his department has handled was a planned protest of thousands at the county courthouse. The group submitted its permit request late and ended up holding its protest — which was peaceful — on a green space.
Capt. Beaudry said his department is still monitoring intelligence bulletins from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency for possible threats, but he could not recall any substantive warnings.
Charlotte Solis, a spokeswoman for the Mobile Police Department, said they haven’t seen any issues, but will remain in the “monitoring phase.”
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