Apparently government is only allowed to get involved in clinic operations if it is in order to pass restrictions for women seeking pregnancy terminations.

Merle Hoffman (left) with City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. Photo: Azi Paybarah/flickr via Capital NY.

New York City is taking an unprecedented step to help women gain access to safe legal abortion services, by starting a program to recruit and train clinic escorts. Proposed by New York City Council Member Christine Quinn, the program is intended to assist women safely past the protesters and self-proclaimed sidewalk counselors attempting to block them from entering reproductive health care facilities.

Needless to say, anti-choice activists are aghast at this “government over-reach” and “invasion into health care and personal lives,” and the imposition the perceive on the poor, unwilling protesters at the centers.

Via LifesiteNews.com:

“It doesn’t make sense. She’s supposed to be my representative,” said Monsignor Philip Reilly, a Catholic priest who led the protest. He called for her to depart City Council, saying, “If she wants to do that, she should resign.” Sex. Abortion. Parenthood. Power. The latest news, delivered straight to your inbox. SUBSCRIBE … [S]ome say the Council is sending the wrong message by getting involved at all. “This says it’s okay to have an abortion, and it’s not okay,” said Antoinette Wolske, a retired nurse from Queens who participated in Saturday’s protest. “We should not have this idea promoted.”

Government interference: totally fine to push your own viewpoint when it comes to blocking abortion, not so welcome when it comes to enforcing a woman’s legal rights.