An unknown woman assaulted a high school student who was praying outside of an abortion facility Saturday, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported. 15-year-old Purity Thomas, from Roanoke, Virginia, is a member of Students for Life of America, and she was standing in front of a Planned Parenthood facility in Roanoke when she was confronted by an angry woman.
The video begins with Thomas telling the woman, “We’re praying for you.” The woman, who had presumably stolen some of the signs from the pro-life demonstrators already, responded, “Maybe I should take your signs too. Want me to take your signs too?” “This is our property,” Thomas said in return. “Yeah, and it’s my property too,” the woman snapped. “No it’s not,” Thomas answered.
“I don’t have to talk to you,” the woman said. “It’s my right to be here as well as it’s your right to be here. Let me take your sign too. You gonna do something?” At this point, the unnamed woman approached Thomas, as Thomas tried to keep her from stealing her sign, which read “All people are made in the image of God.” The woman then turned to the man standing next to Thomas and asked, “Is she gonna do something?” Then, with no provocation from Thomas whatsoever, she punched Thomas in the face, sending her reeling backwards.
The pro-life demonstrators called the police, and a police report was filed. The woman who assaulted Thomas, unfortunately, remains unidentified. Thomas and her fellow student pro-life demonstrators spend time outside of this Planned Parenthood facility every Saturday, when the facility commits abortions, to pray for women and offer resources, options, and support for women facing unplanned pregnancies.
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, responded to the attack in a press release. “It’s horrific that a minor expressing love for pregnant women was targeted for violence,” she said. “But this is not an isolated incident. Across the country we are witnessing a rise in the number of incidents of vandalism and violence against peaceful pro-life speech.”
In addition to the police report, Students for Life of America has launched an initiative to send letters of support to Purity.
