-- From "Anti-abortion protesters allege hate crimes" by Russell Working, [Chicago] Tribune Company 4/3/09
Internet videos purport to show a man who lives near the Northern Illinois Women's Center [in Rockford, Illinois] demonstrating his support for the [abortion] facility by abusing protesters, repeatedly using the N-word, homophobic slurs and other abuse.
A lawyer for the building owner said he had nothing to do with the rant by a citizen, identified in court papers as Rockford resident Keith A. Sterkeson, who allegedly expressed support for the clinic by insulting, hitting and shoving the protesters, and warning that his dog might bite them.
"You are a degenerate and empty skull, thinking Jesus is going to save you," Sterkeson said on the videotape. "You're a n-----. Your mother was a n----."The protesters were not black, but that doesn't mean they can't be victims of hate crimes, said Tom Brejcha, chief counsel for the Thomas More Society, which is representing the plaintiffs.
The complaint accuses Webster of being in cahoots with Sterkeson. In one of the videos, a voice the protesters allege is Webster's comes on a loudspeaker to warn Sterkeson away after protesters call the police. Brejcha said Webster has encouraged Sterkeson in the past.
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