Ever since the Supreme Court reversed its ruling on Roe v. Wade , the argument over abortion has become an all-out political war. And in the city of Napa, a group of anti-abortion activists seem to be embracing the old advice, "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
" When they opened the Napa Women's Center in 2020, Board President Gerry Cruz was excited by what it would have to offer. "..
.and not just any women's center. One that can be strategically located near Planned Parenthood, where lives and hearts could be changed," he said in a YouTube video announcing the opening.
"And as you can see, Planned Parenthood has a brand-new neighbor." It was right next door. The Napa Women's Center offered free pregnancy tests and pro-life counseling.
But Gilda Gonzales, president of Planned Parenthood of Northern California, said it also attracted frequent protests on the sidewalk outside the clinic. When they got too raucous, in 2021 the Napa City Council passed an ordinance banning amplified sound, shouting and sidewalk obstruction within 30 feet of the clinic. "They had regular protesting that was very elevated and intimidating to our patients and our staff and it became just untenable to be there," Gonzales told CBS News Bay Area.
In January of 2023, Planned Parenthood moved about a mile and half away to a building in a medical office complex. But Gonzales said that wasn't the last they heard of the Napa Women's Center. "We were aware that they were requesting if any bus.
