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NATIONAL BRIEFING / KANSAS

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TIMES WIRE REPORTS

It took waiting eight hours, but abortion opponents succeeded in holding a prayer vigil at the closed clinic of slain abortion provider Dr. George Tiller.

As dusk fell on Wichita, 10 abortion foes showed up at the clinic to lay hundreds of flowers and hold a brief prayer service. A group of counter-protesters that had thwarted the event for most of the day were long gone.

Abortion foes had planned a noon event at the clinic, one of the few in the nation where third-trimester abortions were available. But the main event was moved after more than 40 abortion rights supporters announced their own vigil, and stood outside the clinic for hours. “Our original intent was to prevent them from doing their proverbial dance on a murdered man’s grave,” said Marla Patrick, National Organization for Women state coordinator.

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Tiller was gunned down May 31 in his church. Murder and aggravated assault charges were filed against Scott Roeder, 51, of Kansas City, Mo.

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