WICHITA, Kan. — The long, hot "Summer of Mercy" is over.

After six divisive weeks of continuous anti-abortion protest--six weeks of confrontation, polarization and fear--Operation Rescue has packed up and left town, at least officially.

But far from being relieved by the departure of the militant protest organization, local abortion rights activists are gearing up for the next phase of the abortion battle, and with no guarantee that the clinic blockades will completely end.

Operation Rescue is leaving in its place a galvanized coalition of local anti-abortion groups. Compared to the national organization, the locals have less confrontational, but perhaps more far-reaching, plans.

Their goal is to enact an ordinance banning abortions in Wichita, and they say their chances of achieving that are far more reachable now than before Operation Rescue arrived.

Peggy Jarman, director of the Pro-Choice Action League, said: "I don't think (the battle over abortion) will ever be over." But, asserting that "Kansas is a pro-choice state," she predicted that a plan to push a referendum on the abortion issue would fail. "This is yet another attempt by one group of people to dictate their religion to another group of people," she said.

Her organization has supported the abortion clinics during the protests and sponsored a rally Saturday to counter the anti-abortion demonstrations.

A spokeswoman for a coalition of local anti-abortion groups said more blockades would not be a part of their strategy, although other groups affiliated with Operation Rescue plan to continue them sporadically.

"A lot of people in the pro-life movement oppose Operation Rescue's tactics," said Mary Wilkerson, spokeswoman for Hope for the Heartland, a coalition of 25 local organizations that formed two weeks ago to carry on the fight against abortions here.

Rather, the main thrust of the local movement will be a petition drive, drawing on considerable anti-abortion sentiment in the community, to force a referendum on the abortion issue. At the same time, Wilkerson said, the group is working on establishing a support network for pregnant women.

"We believe that passing a law in the city of Wichita to outlaw abortions is useless unless you are prepared to take care of every single person who cannot get an abortion," she said.

The Compassion Network, she said, will provide free medical care and financial, emotional and spiritual support to pregnant women.