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Madison, Wis., May 6 (CNA/EWTN News) .- Reporting a "pro-life victory," pro-life leaders in Wisconsin have praised the Madison Surgery Center's (MSC) abandonment of its plans to perform late-term abortions.

The MSC is a joint partnership between Meriter Hospital, the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation. At a February 2009 meeting its board voted to allow late-term abortions.

The Center was the target of pro-life petition drives and television commercials opposing the plan to provide late-term abortions.

"It is my understanding based on recent information from the UW (University of Wisconsin) that they have now abandoned plans to provide late-term abortion services at MSC," Wisconsin Assistant Attorney General Kevin Potter said in a letter to an Eau Claire attorney who asked for an investigation of UW for violating the law by promoting and being involved in the late-term abortion plan.

Peggy Hamill, state director of Pro-Life Wisconsin, reacted to the news.

"We give credit first and foremost to God for this pro-life victory," she commented. "Pro-life grassroots activism works."

Hamill said in a press release that thousands of people attended "countless" prayer vigils, tens of thousands of people signed a pro-life petition, and hundreds of pro-life television commercials aired in the Madison area. Hundreds of people also boycotted the MSC.

"We have maintained a daily prayer presence outside the MSC, and our NoUWabortions.com website has served as a virtual hub of resistance," she added.

Virginia Zignego, Pro-Life Wisconsin communications director and a UW-Madison alumna, said her group was "happy" to announce the end of its boycott.

"When we kill babies, it is a failure of our health care system and a failure of our intellects. When we kill babies it is a sign that consciences are dead. When consciences are dead, there is no limit to what we will do."

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