Two pro-life organizations are banding together for a picket of a hotel operated by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., which occupies a place on the boycott list for supporting the Planned Parenthood abortion business.
The Center For Bio-Ethical Reform and Life Decisions International today announced it will organize pro-life advocates behind a picket of the St. Regis Monarch Beach Hotel, located at the intersection of One Monarch Beach Resort and Niguel Road in Dana Point, California starting tomorrow and extending through the weekend. The protest will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. each of the three days.
“The picketing of this property will continue until Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., the corporation responsible for the general management of this hotel, enforces its franchise agreements to bar Starwood licensees from providing philanthropic support to Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion provider,” the groups said in a joint press statement today that LifeNews received. “This particular St. Regis property is owned by Washington Real Estate Holdings LLC, whose investors we urge to enforce their management contract with Starwood in terms which forbid Starwood’s corporate sponsorship of Planned Parenthood.”
The pro-life organizations say the picketing will begin a concerted effort by both groups to focus on St. Regis special events in an attempt to urge patrons of the hotel to book their special engagements elsewhere. CBR tells LifeNews it will be thrusting graphic pictures in the faces of hotel patrons attempting to enjoy their wedding reception, honeymoon, or Bar-Mitzvah in an attempt to convince them that disrupting their event and hotel stay with graphic abortion photos should prompt them to boycott the hotel.
In addition to the St. Regis, Starwood hotel trademarks include the Sheraton, Westin, Four Points, Meridian, W and other hotel brands and the pro-life organizations are preparing plans for protests and pickets at other hotels in the future.
Starwood is also one of 70 companies on the LDI boycott list for financially supporting the Planned Parenthood abortion business and the two groups say they will expand the protests to begin including other corporations highlighted. Other companies that LDI says are giving financially to Planned Parenthood include brands as Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants, Levi Strauss clothing, Estee Lauder cosmetics, Microsoft computer products, Nike sports gear, Ralph Lauren clothing, Southwest Airline, Staples office products Walt Disney entertainment and Whole Foods Markets.
Earlier this year, LDI urged pro-life advocates to boycott the various hotels in the area of the March for Life in Washington, D.C. that occupy spots on the Planned Parenthood-supporting boycott list.
“We are asking pro-life people who will be participating in the March for Life to boycott the hotel chains and restaurants that have refused to end corporate funding to Planned Parenthood,” said Kenneth Garvey, the director of communications for LDI, in January.
The top hotels on the boycott list include Marriott and its brands Courtyard, Residence Inn and Fairfield Inn; Hilton and its brand Doubletree, Hampton, and Homewood Suites; Four Points; the Four Seasons; Kimpton Hotels; Starwood Hotels, which include the St. Regis and Westin and Sheraton.
The only airline on the list is Southwest Airlines, a discount airline popular with people traveling to Dulles airport. LDI also lists restaurants on its boycott list and the most popular ones include Darden Restaurants, which include Olive Garden and Red Lobster; Hooters; and Joe’s Crab Shack.
The boycotts have been successful in stopping corporate donations to the abortion giant.
“The most recently released edition of The Boycott List became available in December,” says Garvey. “Between the release of the July 2010 and December 2010 editions, more corporations agreed to stop funding the pro-abortion group than ever before. As a direct result of the commitment, action and prayers of pro-family people, at least 274 corporations have stopped funding Planned Parenthood.”
“This is a simple way for every pro-life person to do something tangible for the pro-life movement,” Garvey said. “The boycott has been one of the most effective strategies in the history of the movement and it is due to people who understand that the way they spend the money God has entrusted to them is important from both a moral and strategic point of view.”
Kohls and Mrs. Fields cookies were the two most recent corporations to stop donating to Planned Parenthood. Garvey says the boycott is estimated to have cost Planned Parenthood more than $40 million since the project began.
