Senators ask DOJ for response to increasing pro-abortion violence

Sixteen United States Senators have sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for the DOJ to respond to increasing pro-abortion violence and urging the AG’s office to “investigate and work to prevent violence against pro-life organizations.”

The request follows a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which indicates the Justices are poised to overturn Roe v. Wade. This has ignited protests, threats, and violence — including acts of arson against pro-life groups.

The letter, dated June 7, 2022, begins by asking AG Garland how he plans on thwarting and investigating the ongoing violence:

We write to request information about how the Department of Justice is addressing the disturbing trend of harassment, intimidation, and violence against religious and other pro-life organizations and individuals in the aftermath of the leaked draft opinion in the Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

“While churches and crisis pregnancy centers have been vandalized, pro-life offices in Oregon and Wisconsin have been targeted by arsonists. We are deeply concerned that this trend will continue should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade in the coming weeks unless the Department of Justice, the FBI, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices take a firm public stance and proactive response against these violent threats,” the Senators wrote in the letter.

Since the letter was published, a third act of arson was committed against CompassCare Pregnancy Services in Buffalo, New York, where perpetrators also spray painted the message, “Jane was here,” possibly referring to the pro-abortion group Jane’s Revenge, which has vowed to unleash additional violence against pro-life groups by their arbitrary June 10 deadline.

 

“The criminal acts perpetrated against those who oppose legalized abortion are a clear effort to intimidate or coerce individuals who hold pro-life values. We call on the Department of Justice to take these actions seriously and work to prevent violence and, when such acts are perpetrated, investigate and prosecute them as appropriate,” the Senators also wrote.

Senators then asked the AG if the DOJ has a “strategy to prevent violence and threats of violence against private organizations and individuals who oppose legalized abortion,” what resources are needed “to publicize and implement this strategy successfully,” and what role the DOJ has “played in investigating and prosecuting individuals committing violence against pro-life organizations and individuals[.]” They closed by writing, “The Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs is imminent, and thus we ask for a response to these questions by June 10, 2022.”

In recent weeks, Live Action News has documented multiple crimes perpetrated against pro-life centers and churches in several states:

• California: A tweet published @GraffitiRadical revealed the image of a vandalized pro-life pregnancy center billboard allegedly out of Sebastopol, California. In addition, a pro-life maternity home in Long Beach, California, which holds regular church services for the women they serve, was interrupted during Sunday church by an angry pro-abortion woman. Disruptions also occurred at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.
• Colorado: St. John XXIII parish in Fort Collins was vandalized with the graffiti messages, “My Body My Choice” and the anarchist ‘A’ while vandals sprayed graffiti on doors and statutes of the Sacred Heart of Mary Parish in Boulder.
• D.C.: Capitol Hill Crisis Pregnancy Center was vandalized and the words “Jane says revenge” were spray painted on the building. In addition, DC Antifascists Action published images on Twitter of a threatening message signed “Jane’s Revenge” found on an overpass in D.C. which also read, “If abortions aren’t safe, then you’re not either, Jane’s Revenge.” A statue in D.C. was vandalized with the message, “My body my choice.” Vandals also damaged the headquarters of Concerned Women for America (CWA).
• Florida: Respect Life Office in Hollywood, Florida, was vandalized and tagged “Janes Revenge” along with the threat, “If abortions aren’t safe then neither are you.”
• Kansas: Surveillance cameras caught a vandal committing “criminal damage” to the Church of the Ascension in Overland, damaging a sign promoting a pro-life proposition.
• Kentucky: St. Louis Catholic Church in Louisville was vandalized with pro-abortion messages.
• Michigan: Family Life Services pregnancy center in Ypsilanti was vandalized with pro-abortion messages, and St. Joseph’s Priory in Armada, Michigan, was defaced with graffiti messages reading “666.”
• Maryland: Birthright in Frederick was vandalized and tagged “Defend Roe” and “F*** Fake Clinic.” In addition, vandals attacked Alpha Pregnancy Center and tagged the facility with the messages, “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you” and “Jane’s Revenge.” CareNet Pregnancy Center of Frederick was also vandalized.
• Mississippi: Mt. Avery Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus was vandalized with the spray painted messages “Keep your laws off my body” and “Girls just want to have fundamental human rights.”
• North Carolina: Mountain Area Pregnancy Services in Asheville was vandalized with the threatening message, ‘If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you!’ along with an anarchist symbol on the front of the building.
• New York: CompassCare Pregnancy Services in Buffalo was firebombed and tagged with the message “Jane was here.” A vulgar pro-abortion protest was held at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
• Oregon:  A Molotov cocktail was thrown into the offices of Oregon Right to Life.  In addition, Dove Medical Clinic in Eugene, Oregon, was vandalized and spray painted with the “A” anarchy symbol, along with the phrases “Abortion is Healthcare” and “Not a Clinic.” The vandalism was signed “from Jane.” The Southeast Portland Pregnancy Resource Center in Portland was vandalized with the message “F*** CPCs.”
• Pennsylvania: Notre Dame de Lourdes was vandalized with the message, “You Do Not Have the Right To Decide How Others Live.”
• Texas: Two Pregnancy Resource Centers in Denton, Texas, were spray painted with abortion messaging including, “Not a Clinic” and “Forced birth is Murder.” The Trotter House PRC in Austin, Texas, was vandalized. In addition, abortion supporters with RiseUp4AbortionRights disrupted Lakewood Church’s services, where Joel Osteen preaches in Houston. “Pro-choice is pro-life” was spray-painted on the front and side doors of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Houston.
• Virginia: The First Care Women’s Health pregnancy resource center in Manassas was vandalized with messages that read, “Fake Clinic,” “Liars,” and “Abortion is a Right.”
• Washington: Someone plastered posters on the Care Net Puget Sound offices in Federal Way claiming the facility wants to “push forced birth options.” In addition, Next Step Pregnancy Center in Lynnwood was vandalized with the threat, “If abortion isn’t safe, you aren’t either.” An alleged “cell” of the Jane’s Revenge terrorist group claimed responsibility for the vandalism of four churches in Olympia; their message was signed “Jane’s Revenge Bo Brown Memorial Cell.” At St. James Cathedral in Seattle, pro-abortion activists had lain on the steps with fake blood.
• Wisconsin: Wisconsin Family Action becomes the first victim of an arson attack.

Additional acts or threats of violence can be read here, here, here and here.

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