A pro-life billboard in Portland, Oregon, has been vandalized. The words “Kill them kids” were spray painted over the sign, with Xs drawn over the eyes of the featured baby girl.
The billboard was an effort of the organization ProLife Across America and read “Protect the babies” and “Heartbeat 18 days from conception.” On the morning of January 2, following the vandalism, the billboard’s owner Outfront Media had the billboard removed. In an email to KOIN 6, ProLife Across America director Mary Ann Kuharski expressed the organization’s desire to replace the sign.
The Portland Police Bureau said it is unclear if any police reports have been filed regarding the anti-life vandalism.
Since the Supreme Court draft decision of Dobbs v. Jackson was leaked in May — revealing that the court was likely to overturn Roe v. Wade — attacks against pro-life organizations have skyrocketed. Pro-life pregnancy centers and pro-life churches have felt the brunt of those attacks — including bomb threats, firebombs, and vandalism including graffiti. Some of the graffiti has included the threat, “If abortions aren’t safe, then neither are you.”
FBI Director Christoper Wray told the Senate Homeland Security Committee that about 70% of abortion-related violence and threats since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June have targeted pro-life groups.
“Now, we have quite a number of investigations — as we speak — into attacks or threats against pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and other pro-life organizations,” Wray said. “And you might be interested to know that since the Dobbs act decision, probably in the neighborhood of 70% of our abortion-related violence cases or threats cases are cases of violence or threats against […] pro-life organizations. And we’re going after that through our joint terrorism task forces, through our criminal authorities, FACE Act and things like that.”
Despite numerous prosecutions against pro-lifers by federal authorities under the Biden administration, there has only been one report of a federal investigation into violence against pro-lifers.
