The Center for Medical Progress (CMP), a group of pro-life citizen journalists, alleges that during the first day of their nine-day hearing in California on Wednesday, their tweets documenting the public testimony were blocked after Planned Parenthood officials filed false reports to Twitter for rule violations.
The San Francisco Superior Court, where this hearing is taking place to determine probable cause that pro-life activist David Daleiden committed a crime, prohibits recording or photographing proceedings in courtroom. Throughout the hearing, CMP tweeted live updates from outside the courtroom about the public testimonies given by Planned Parenthood abortionists.
After Planned Parenthood lawyers allegedly falsely reported the tweets as a “livestream recording” to Twitter, the social media platform blocked 19 of CMP’s tweets describing the hearing activity, even though the tweets did not violate the judge’s rules about recording or photographing. CMP appealed to Twitter and 12 hours later, the tweets were reinstated.
Daledien tweeted that it was bad for Planned Parenthood to lie and misrepresent the California judge’s orders to Twitter.
BREAKING: @Twitter blocked 19 of @CtrMedProgress tweets reporting on the public testimony of @PPFA in the public court proceedings launched by @KamalaHarris
I am informed @PPFA lawyers lied to @Twitter about the tweets to trigger the 12-hour block. Judge said it was fine! #1A
— David Daleiden (@daviddaleiden) September 4, 2019
UPDATE: @Twitter reinstated @CtrMedProgress tweets after appeal explained @PPFA was falsely describing CMP tweets as a "livestream recording" of courtroom.
Very BAD for @PPFA @NatAbortionFed lawyers (who lost other hearing today) to lie and misrepresent state Judge's orders! #1A
— David Daleiden (@daviddaleiden) September 5, 2019
CMP’s tweets on Wednesday described the admissions from a Planned Parenthood abortion technician and a third-trimester abortionist who were being cross-examined at the hearing. In her testimony, one witness said she regularly procured fetal tissue from the abortions and had heard of financial transactions with the human tissue procurement lab, StemExpress.
Doe 7 admits in courtroom Doe 9 was a public figure. Also admits baby tissue procurement happened at PP of Northern California.
— Center for Medical Progress (@CtrMedProgress) September 3, 2019
Doe 7 states she heard of cases in which Stem Express was involved and money was made.
— Center for Medical Progress (@CtrMedProgress) September 3, 2019
Planned Parenthood and Twitter did not respond to requests for comment on this story.