by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Members of the television crew of talk show host Jimmy Kimmel have finally apologized after using high intensity commercial spotlights to burn a teenage pro-life advocate who was protesting outside his Hollywood studio.
According to LifeNews.com, the incident occurred on June 25 when Ryan Bueler, a member of the Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust group, was participating in a pro-life protest on the public sidewalk outside the Kimmel studios. When the group refused to leave, members of Kimmel’s crew, who were filming on the other side of the street, began hurling insults and taunts at the young people, then resorted to turning powerful spotlights on the teens in an attempt to get them to leave.
A video posted on the Survivors of LA website shows one of the lights being directed upon Bueler, who was standing nearby holding a pro-life sign. Another protester repeatedly asked the crew to move the light, then attempted to move it himself, which caused a scuffle that resulted in police being summoned to the scene.
Bueler suffered minor burns from the heat, which was hot enough to melt a plastic bracelet he was wearing.
In spite of his injuries, Bueler said he was glad the incident drew attention to the issue of abortion. “It was worth it just to see fifty people praying on Hollywood Boulevard,” Bueler said after the event.
The Survivors sent a letter to Kimmel demanding a public apology for burning Bueler and violating the First Amendment rights of the protestors. After a few days, when no apology was forthcoming, more than 100 members of the group staged another protest outside Kimmel’s home.
“It is outrageous and a disgrace that anyone would purposely burn teenagers with high intensity commercial spotlights just because of their belief that abortion is the killing of innocent children,” Survivor spokeswoman Timmerie Millington told LifeNews.com. “We are coming to Mr. Kimmel’s home to stand for free speech and civil liberties and ask him to publicly apologize for the hateful actions of his crews.”
However, the talk show star still refused to apologize.
Four members of the group then bought tickets to a live taping and interrupted the show to demand an apology. Police escorted them out of the building in handcuffs and held them for over an hour.
Finally, Kimmel’s producers caved. “After much negotiation between Survivors and one of the producers for Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel’s producers promised Rev. Patrick Mahoney and Joseph Slovenec that Jimmy Kimmel Live would never hire the assaulting light crew again and LAPD released the four handcuffed ‘Survivors,'” said a Survivors press release.
“Survivors refused to have their message oppressed and persevered in standing for the rights to ‘Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ that are clearly stated in the Declaration of Independence. The Survivors defend life and liberty for preborn children in the womb, and will continue to do so despite the pressure to be silent.”
The group thanked Kimmel for promising not to hire the crew.
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