Abortion foe to remove Web site posting exhorting to kill abortion provider

Anti-abortion activist was ordered by U.S. state judge to remove a Web site posting which, according to judge’s opinion, urges people to shoot down an abortion provider.

District Court Judge Thomas Golden granted an injunction Thursday seeking the removal of postings on Web pages maintained by John Dunkle. The injunction, sought by prosecutors in August, also bans him from publishing similar messages containing names, addresses or photographs of health clinic staff members.

Prosecutors said one posting targeted a former clinician for the Philadelphia Women's Center, and that she later stopped providing reproductive health services because she feared for her life.

Dunkle said Thursday that the postings had been removed.

"They're down now," said Dunkle, who represented himself. "I won't put up language that (the judge) has told me not to put up."

Authorities said the postings violate the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

One posting, which featured the provider's name, photo and address, stated that "while it does not sound good to say go shoot her between the eyes, it sounds even worse to say let her alone."

Dunkle has said he did not write the message on the blog, but that he did post it.