Assaults directed at abortion clinic staff and patients increased 128% last year over 2020, according to a new report from the National Abortion Federation.
Why it matters: Heated political rhetoric, the passage of more restrictive state abortion bans and increased media coverage all factored in the increase in violence, emboldening those “who want to harass and terrorize abortion providers,” Melissa Fowler, NAF Chief Program Officer, told reporters.
Fowler added that the NAF expects a continued escalation of violence and is “on heightened alert.”…
Anti-abortion protesters are “feeling supported by politicians who are coming right out and speaking their anti-choice views, and so therefore, they feel supported in committing acts of violence and targeted harassment,” said Michelle Davidson, NAF security director.
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