Pregnancy centers vandalized in wake of abortion ruling

Authorities are investigating several cases of vandalism Sunday at pregnancy centers across the country following the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

The decision has brought a wide range of emotions across the country. The ruling also sparked a recent warning from the Department of Homeland Security that the decision could trigger domestic violent extremists.

In Longmont, Colorado, just 30 minutes northeast of Boulder, the Life Choices Christian Pregnancy Center became the site of arson and vandalism. The facility does not offer abortions, but an employee spoke to a NewsNation affiliate about what it offers women.

“They do ultrasounds, pregnancy tests and all that too. If the woman decides to parent, they give her clothing and formula,” former patient and employee of Life Choices, Becky Young, said.

States away in Virginia, police need the public’s help finding four masked people they believe broke windows and painted graffiti on the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center in Lynchburg.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin tweeted about the incident over the weekend, saying: “There is no room for this in Virginia. This is not how we find common ground.”

In Vermont, the Statehouse saw multiple windows broken and graffiti scrawled on its sidewalk. The vandalism resulted in around $25,000 worth of damage and forced the building to close until Monday.

The violence came after calls for peace and calm following the Supreme Court decision on Friday.

In response, the Department of Homeland Security issued an intelligence brief.

“Some domestic violent extremists (DVEs) will likely exploit the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade to intensify violence against a wide range of targets,” the brief reads.

A pro-abortion group called Jane’s Revenge has claimed responsibility for past cases of vandalism in incidents in more than a dozen states. The group reportedly vowed to hold a “night of rage” in response to Roe v. Wade being overturned, saying “If abortions aren’t safe, you aren’t either.”

That same message has been spotted in some graffiti in vandalism cases reported this weekend.

“Peaceful protest is always encouraged but violence must always be condemned,” Michigan Senator Gary Peters said.

President Joe Biden echoed calls for calm saying all protests in response to SCOTUS should remain peaceful.

The Department of Homeland Security’s brief says federal and state government officials, including judges, and facilities could be at most risk of violence. The department also said it expects the violence could happen for weeks.