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Protests Still Continue in Alabama

Aired August 26, 2003 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The legal battle seems to be winding down, but the crowds are building up outside the Alabama justice building where the Ten Commandments monument still sits despite several court orders. CNN's Brian Cabell joins us now live from Montgomery -- Brian.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Kyra. Well the monument is still here. In fact, if you look back there behind that black piece of plastic about 25 yards beyond that, the monument is still there, it has not moved, there is no indication that there will be any movement any time soon.

And currently there is a last-ditch effort under way to try to stop its movement. District court down in Mobile, Alabama will hold a hearing tomorrow afternoon. A last-ditch effort, as I say, to try to prevent the justices here from moving it. Chances of it succeeding, not very great.

Nevertheless, we still have, I would say we still have 100, 150 people out here. They have come from a number of states. Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Iowa, Florida, District of Columbia, Mississippi.

At times there are dozens of people. Sometimes in the evening there are hundreds of people after they get off of work. They have food, they have showers up the street, they have a place to sleep. And some of them are actually sleeping out here, this, inspite of the fact that temperatures now in the 90s and the humidity is stifling.

But nevertheless, they're out here. Let's try to talk to one of them right now. Her name Melody Hylander. Miss Hylander, where are you from?

MELODY HYLANDER, WANTS MONUMENT TO STAY: Jackson, Mississippi.

CABELL: So you drove over here today?

HYLANDER: No, we drove over here Sunday afternoon.

CABELL: You've been here for a couple days.

HYLANDER: Yes, it's been hot.

CABELL: Where have you been sleeping?

HYLANDER: We've been sleeping right here. The first night it was very important because they were afraid that they would try to slip the statue out or in a backroom and we wanted to be here to be able to stand in the gap there.

CABELL: You look remarkably fresh. You must be sleeping all right.

HYLANDER: Bless you.

CABELL: Have you been in a demonstration like this before?

HYLANDER: Yes, every year. We participate with Operation Save America to protest abortion. I have been doing it since 1993 when I first learned about partial birth abortions and I was just horrified that that was taking place in our country.

And I thought, I need to stand up, make a statement, was arrested that particular year because of my protest against abortion, against partial birth abortion. And decided, hey, if I don't stand, what are my kids going to say when they grow up?

(CROSSTALK)

CABELL: Seems likely you're not going to be able to prevent this from being moved. Is that frustrating to you?

HYLANDER: This? Well, I certainly wouldn't be able to do it from home, would I? OK, this is another defining moment. This is so important in the history of our country that we just -- even if we're a carbon life form, just a warm body here -- being the church on the street and on the steps of the supreme court, we're here. And we're coming by the droves. It's exciting.

CABELL: You expect we'll see more arrests here?

HYLANDER: Yes.

CABELL: How about yourself?

HYLANDER: I'd be willing. I want my kids to know that there's a right and a wrong and there's a place to stand on that issue. I'd rather be on the side of right when I stand before the Lord.

CABELL: Thank you, Miss Hylander.

HYLANDER: Thank you.

CABELL: Again, we want to -- I would say about 150 demonstrators out here right now. And as you can see we have speeches going on, we have prayer going on all day long. And Chief Justice Roy Moore was out here yesterday. He hasn't been out here since then. We expect perhaps to see him later on today. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Brian. Thank you. I felt like I was at church for a moment. Brian Cabell, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired August 26, 2003 - 15:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The legal battle seems to be winding down, but the crowds are building up outside the Alabama justice building where the Ten Commandments monument still sits despite several court orders. CNN's Brian Cabell joins us now live from Montgomery -- Brian.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Kyra. Well the monument is still here. In fact, if you look back there behind that black piece of plastic about 25 yards beyond that, the monument is still there, it has not moved, there is no indication that there will be any movement any time soon.

And currently there is a last-ditch effort under way to try to stop its movement. District court down in Mobile, Alabama will hold a hearing tomorrow afternoon. A last-ditch effort, as I say, to try to prevent the justices here from moving it. Chances of it succeeding, not very great.

Nevertheless, we still have, I would say we still have 100, 150 people out here. They have come from a number of states. Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Iowa, Florida, District of Columbia, Mississippi.

At times there are dozens of people. Sometimes in the evening there are hundreds of people after they get off of work. They have food, they have showers up the street, they have a place to sleep. And some of them are actually sleeping out here, this, inspite of the fact that temperatures now in the 90s and the humidity is stifling.

But nevertheless, they're out here. Let's try to talk to one of them right now. Her name Melody Hylander. Miss Hylander, where are you from?

MELODY HYLANDER, WANTS MONUMENT TO STAY: Jackson, Mississippi.

CABELL: So you drove over here today?

HYLANDER: No, we drove over here Sunday afternoon.

CABELL: You've been here for a couple days.

HYLANDER: Yes, it's been hot.

CABELL: Where have you been sleeping?

HYLANDER: We've been sleeping right here. The first night it was very important because they were afraid that they would try to slip the statue out or in a backroom and we wanted to be here to be able to stand in the gap there.

CABELL: You look remarkably fresh. You must be sleeping all right.

HYLANDER: Bless you.

CABELL: Have you been in a demonstration like this before?

HYLANDER: Yes, every year. We participate with Operation Save America to protest abortion. I have been doing it since 1993 when I first learned about partial birth abortions and I was just horrified that that was taking place in our country.

And I thought, I need to stand up, make a statement, was arrested that particular year because of my protest against abortion, against partial birth abortion. And decided, hey, if I don't stand, what are my kids going to say when they grow up?

(CROSSTALK)

CABELL: Seems likely you're not going to be able to prevent this from being moved. Is that frustrating to you?

HYLANDER: This? Well, I certainly wouldn't be able to do it from home, would I? OK, this is another defining moment. This is so important in the history of our country that we just -- even if we're a carbon life form, just a warm body here -- being the church on the street and on the steps of the supreme court, we're here. And we're coming by the droves. It's exciting.

CABELL: You expect we'll see more arrests here?

HYLANDER: Yes.

CABELL: How about yourself?

HYLANDER: I'd be willing. I want my kids to know that there's a right and a wrong and there's a place to stand on that issue. I'd rather be on the side of right when I stand before the Lord.

CABELL: Thank you, Miss Hylander.

HYLANDER: Thank you.

CABELL: Again, we want to -- I would say about 150 demonstrators out here right now. And as you can see we have speeches going on, we have prayer going on all day long. And Chief Justice Roy Moore was out here yesterday. He hasn't been out here since then. We expect perhaps to see him later on today. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Brian. Thank you. I felt like I was at church for a moment. Brian Cabell, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com