Pro-life pregnancy centers and organizations across the nation are reporting attacks as abortion supporters react to news that the monumental Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade may be overturned.
Abortion groups nationally have called for large-scale backlash to the momentous news, calling for protesting at the homes of Supreme Court Justices and even in Catholic masses. Protestors have already shown up to demonstrate at Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s and Chief Justice John Roberts’ homes and have promised to protest at Justice Samuel Alito’s home on Monday evening.
While no direct link has yet been established between vandalism and attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and pro-abortion activists, it appears that calls for activism have translated to such attacks on these pro-life groups.
Keizer, Oregon
Oregon Right to Life announced Monday evening that its offices in Keizer, Oregon, had been attacked late Sunday, saying in a statement that “an individual used incendiary devices, one of which exploded and caught the building on fire.”
“The office was vacant at the time, and no one was harmed,” the statement said. “Fire and police departments responded quickly, minimizing damage to the building. The agencies are actively investigating the incident.”
The group is “shaken up by this attack,” executive director Lois Anderson said.
“We are committed to taking proper precautions to protect the safety of our staff as we move forward,” she added. “We are thankful for the quick action of our first responders committed to maintaining a safe environment to operate in this community.”
Photo courtesy of the Keizer Police Department.
Photo courtesy of the Keizer Police Department.
On Monday evening, Keizer Police sent out a statement clarifying that an unknown suspect or suspects attempted and failed to break a window at Oregon Right to Life around 11 p.m. on Sunday.
“The suspect(s) then ignited two Molotov cocktails and threw them toward the brick building,” the police said. “There was a small fire with minimal damage and no one was in the building at the time. Keizer Police detectives, the Keizer Fire District and an arson investigator from the Salem Police Department responded to the scene. This case is currently under investigation.”
Madison, Wisconsin
In Madison, Wisconsin, a pro-life nonprofit was set ablaze in a “suspicious fire” — a Molotov cocktail was reportedly thrown into the pro-life organization’s building, one wall was burnt, and the message “if abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either” was spray-painted on the side of the building.
The Madison Fire Department said in a news release that it believes the pro-life center was “intentionally set” on fire and that “the incident is being investigated as an arson.”
It is not immediately clear who set the building on fire — Wisconsin Family Action claims the attack was from an “elitist anarchist group” that threw “two Molotov cocktails into the office, after breaking windows, and then proceeded to light a fire.”
“The arsonists posted graffiti on the outside of the building near the group’s offices. The message was, ‘If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.’ Anarchy 1312 took responsibility for the attack, leaving its logo on an outside wall,” the organization said.
Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Family Council.
Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Family Council.
Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Family Council.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes drew ire for a statement in which he said his department “understands members of our community are feeling deep emotions due to the recent news involving the United States Supreme Court.”
The police chief then warned against violence, saying: “Our department has and continues to support people being able to speak freely and openly about their beliefs. But we feel that any acts of violence, including the destruction of property, do not aid in any cause.”
Madison Police Department spokeswoman Stephanie Fryer told The Daily Wire that “there are deep emotions on both/all sides regarding the recent news involving the United States Supreme Court.”
“The Madison Police Department supports the 1st Amendment and the freedoms it protects – no matter what side of an issue a person may fall,” she said.
Frederick, Maryland
“On Wednesday, May 4th, the staff arrived at the center to the disturbing scene of lies and propaganda spray painted on the front of our building,” CareNet Executive Director Linda King told The Daily Wire. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time our center has been vandalized. We were previously vandalized twice in 2014 in the same manner. These acts of vandalism are an attempt to intimidate our staff and volunteers; and to mislead our clients.”
King said that the clinic will not be deterred from the work they have done for the past 39 years in the Frederick, Maryland, community.
“Our doors remain open to women and men making a pregnancy decision,” she said. “Whether they need limited medical services to confirm pregnancy, compassionate education about their options, or helpful classes on pregnancy, parenting, and life skills; we are here for the women, men and families in Frederick.”
King emphasized to The Daily Wire that when people understand CareNet’s work, “they understand that we are a valuable part of our community.”
“Over the last five years, 99% of our clients have been satisfied with the care and service they received,” she said. “Activists feel threatened by us because they don’t understand that we give women and men an alternative to the abortion clinic and provide a real source of hope.”
Captain Kirk Henneberry of the Frederick Police Department told The Daily Wire on Tuesday that the officer assigned to investigate the vandalism “has exhausted investigative leads.”
“The case is currently ‘suspended’, which means that there are no leads to pursue at this time, but the case can be reopened if we receive additional information,” he said. “To help prevent something like this in the future, the officer has given the victim some recommendations on improving security at the property.”
“We have also directed officers to make frequent checks of this location and other locations that could be targets of vandalism related to the ongoing situation involving the leaked Supreme Court document,” he added.
Photo courtesy of CareNet.
Photo courtesy of CareNet.
Photo courtesy of CareNet.
On Monday, after days of silence, the White House condemned acts of “violence, threats, or vandalism” directed pro-life centers, specifically referring to the Madison attack.
“President Biden strongly condemns this attack and political violence of any stripe,” the White House said in a statement. “The President has made clear throughout his time in public life that Americans have the fundamental right to express themselves under the Constitution, whatever their point of view. But that expression must be peaceful and free of violence, vandalism, or attempts to intimidate.”
Alexandria, VA
Concerned Women for America (CWA) told The Daily Wire on Tuesday that an ideologically motivated leftist activist damaged and urinated on their office.
The socially conservative, Christian, and pro-life women’s organization said that around 10 p.m. on Saturday night, a “leftist” who previously had harassed CWA staff “ripped up our security system, flipped off our camera, and peed on our door.”
“Attacks on our employees and our building will not deter Concerned Women for America from standing up for women and for babies,” said Penny Nance, Concerned Women for America’s president and CEO. “We will not be bullied, we will not back down, and we will never, ever stop fighting to protect human life.”
The Daily Wire reviewed video security camera footage provided by the organization showing a man repeatedly flipping off the camera and apparently urinating on the building. The organization said that it has filed a police report as well as a hate crime report with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and alerted the Virginia attorney general, noting that wiring from the building’s secure doorbell and camera had been ripped away.
Press Secretary Katie Everett said they believe the individual who attacked the organization is the same man who has repeatedly harassed staff by yelling “vulgar” remarks at them. CWA has reported the man to the Alexandria Police Department previously, Everett said, noting that he is a white male around 30-years-old with light brown hair.
“Over the past several weeks, employees have had hot coffee cups thrown at them while inside our gated parking garage, along with ongoing vulgar gestures and confrontational rantings made toward them,” she explained. “These things have happened not once but several times. It escalated after the Alito leak.”
The Alexandria Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Wire.