Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department has launched an investigation of a violent incident over the weekend where advocates assaulted two pro-life advocates who were helping women and saving babies outside the Planned Parenthood abortion business in Washington D.C.
“Two proaborts decided to assault me and another pro-life defender outside Planned Parenthood in Washington DC this morning simply for standing on the sidewalk offering resources to families in crisis,” said Terrisa Bukovinac, one of the victims.
Bukovinac, who heads a liberal pro-life group called PAAU, told LifeNews that police initially declined to investigate, but a new report today indicates they have since opened a case.
The public incident report provided to CNA by the police states that two suspects approached the pro-life activists and engaged in a verbal confrontation, which led to one of the suspects throwing coffee at one of the activists. When one sidewalk counselor tried to stop the altercation, one of the suspects “assaults [the victim] by slamming [him] to the ground and then punches [him] several times,” according to the report.
Terrisa Bukovinac, the founder of Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, told CNA that she was the one who had the coffee thrown at her. She said two pro-abortion passersby “were screaming at us and they were screaming [expletive] you,” to which Bukovinac responded with the same insult.
Mike Gribbin, a sidewalk counselor who isn’t affiliated with any specific organization, told CNA that he believes it was the woman who threw the coffee at Bukovinac. Gribbin intervened in the altercation, which ultimately led to the man grabbing him, he said.
“The exchange got fairly heated and the woman walked into the street to come to our side of the sidewalk and she and Terrisa were shouting at each other,” Gribbin said. “The woman threw her coffee on Terrisa, at which point I grabbed the woman’s arm and her boyfriend came in and intervened.”
“Her boyfriend came up and grabbed me and was holding onto me,” Gribbin said. He told CNA: “I did make an attempt to fend off the boyfriend who was grabbing me, but I was unsuccessful.”
At that point, he alleges that the man punched him and then knocked him to the ground. When he got up, he said the man threw him to the ground again and punched him repeatedly. The incident was captured on video and shared online.
The pro-abortion attacked threw ribbing to the ground multiple times and then the woman grabbed Bukovinac’s phone from her as she attempted to record the altercation. Gribbin said he followed the suspects so he could point them out to police, who interviewed them after the incident.
Although police initially declined to pursue the case, she told CNA that officials said they would investigate, and she said she was assured “there would be consequences.” She said the fact that the video was shared online was helpful.
According to Bukovanic, the incident began when a woman approached her and threw coffee in her face and hair. When Gribbin went to grab the coffee cup her male partner assaulted him
A video of the altercation shows Gribbin being thrown to the ground and repeatedly punched by the woman’s male partner. The video also shows Bukovanic getting slapped in the face by the woman who threw coffee at her.
Both Gribbin and Bukovanic frequently come to the DC Planned Parenthood to sidewalk counsel where they peacefully offer life affirming alternatives to women seeking abortions.
Bukovanic stated “Even as a progressive anti-abortion atheist I understand that the abortion industrial complex is responsible for a mass genocide which will require immense bravery to dismantle. Pro-lifers must be committed to total non-violence to effectively challenge the institution of legal child killing around the globe”
Michael New, a Catholic University of America professor who helps coordinate pro-life sidewalk counseling efforts outside the DC Planned Parenthood, told LifeNews, “It is sad, but unsurprising that the DC police have refused to press charges on two individuals who assaulted 2 pro-life sidewalk counselors outside the DC Planned Parenthood.”
He added, “Pro-lifers have first amendment rights and no one should have to fear for their safety while sidewalk counseling. As someone who coordinates sidewalk counseling efforts outside the DC Planned Parenthood it is of paramount importance that our volunteers are safe. If Terrisa and Michael wish to file civil charges against their assailants, they would have my enthusiastic support.”
New said this is not the first time that DC police have refused to press charges against individuals who have engaged in violence against peaceful pro-life activists.
On August 31, 2019, Gribbin was chalking pro-life messages on the sidewalk outside the DC Planned Parenthood. Quinn Chasan who worked for Google stole Gribbin’s chalk and threw it down the street. When confronted Chasan proceeded to assault Gribbin. Despite video evidence of the incident, the DC police refused to press charges.
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