TULSA, Okla. — A Broken Arrow pastor is charged with disturbing the peace after being arrested outside of the Tulsa Women's Clinic.
Pastor Greg McEntire said he and members of his church, Broken Arrow Baptist Temple, have prayed and sung while protesting abortion outside of the Tulsa Women’s Clinic every week for five years.
He said there were about 25 of them outside of the clinic. He said after being there for about an hour, a police officer showed up, asking them to tone down their singing. McEntire said the officer told them you could hear them singing from inside the clinic, which is a violation of Tulsa’s noise statute. McEntire said the officer was going to write him a ticket, but McEntire refused to sign it. He was then arrested.
McEntire said he feels like they were trying to take his voice away.
“We feel like it’s an attempt to silence our voices because if we get so soft we can’t be heard, why should we be there. If people can’t hear us, why are we there," McEntire said.
Tulsa's noise statute prohibits singing, shouting and using bullhorns outside of schools, churches, hospitals or medical clinics during regular business hours. Those facilities must also post "Quiet zone" signs and their operating hours.
McEntire bonded out of jail. He is scheduled to appear in court next week. He said, if the Lord is willing, he will be back protesting at the clinic next Thursday.
2 News Oklahoma spoke with the Tulsa Women’s Clinic about commenting on this story, but we are still waiting on a call back from it.
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