Pro-Lifers Will Rally at Planned Parenthood Where Brian Sims Harassed Women: “Come With Your Camera”

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   May 7, 2019   |   12:51PM   |   Philadelphia, PA

Several leading pro-life groups and activists are planning a rally on Friday at the Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Philadelphia where state representative Brian Sims filmed himself twice harassing and bullying pro-life women.

The rally is planned for Friday morning and hundreds of pro-life people are expected to attend. The goal of the rally is to send the message to Representative Sims that he can’t stop pro-life people from helping women find abortion alternatives outside that Planned Parenthood clinic. Rally organizers have invited Sims to attend and even to bring his camera and have a conversation with her life leaders and activists about his intimidation.

SIGN THE PETITION: Rep. Brian Sims Should Resign for Harassing Pro-Life Woman

Sims has been under fire since the state lawmaker posted a video of himself berating a pro-life sidewalk counselor in Philadelphia. A second video shows him appearing to call for the doxxing of several pro-life teenage girls.

A LifeNews petition calling for Sims’ resignation amassed more than 5,000 signatures in less than 24 hours.

The Republican Party of Pennsylvania demanded an apology from Sims.

“State Rep. Brian Sims’ harassment of a woman’s peaceful and religious exercise of her First Amendment rights is yet another example of a troubling trend of growing extremism and hypocrisy among Democrats,” the party said in a statement.

“Having met Rep. Sims, I am surprised at this episode of despicable conduct,” the state Republican Party said. “Given the nature of his conduct, he owes an apology not just to the woman he harassed, but to the people of Pennsylvania that expect more out of their elected officials.”

“This is conduct that is certainly unacceptable and despicable coming from a state lawmaker,” added Jason Gottesman, communications director for the Republican Party of PA.

In the first video, which Sims posted publicly online last week, he appeared to be attempting to doxx the pro-life woman – he called her an “old white lady” – by asking his viewers for her name and address.

“Shame on you!” Sims said as the woman asked him to get his camera out of her face. “You have a problem protesting in public? Don’t protest in public!

“If you know who this woman is and you can give me her address, we’ll protest out in front of her home. Let’s go protest out of her house and tell her what’s right for her body,” he continued.

For most of the video, the woman silently bore Sims’ bullying. The exception was when he got his camera close to her face and she told him not to.

Sims also repeatedly exerted his power and privilege by mentioning that he is a state representative, including when the woman appeared to be calling police.

His bullying continued for at least eight minutes, the length of the video.

“Today’s protester, now she is an old white lady who is going to try to avoid showing you her face,” Sims began, according to a transcript by the Daily Caller. “But the same laws, luckily, that protect her from being out here also protect me from showing you who she is. And so my hope is that you’ll donate $100 [to Planned Parenthood] for every extra hour that this woman is out here telling people what is right for their bodies.”

LifeNews also reported on a second video that Sims posted several weeks ago where he made a similar request. He offered his viewers $100 to identify four pro-life advocates, including several teenage girls, who were peacefully praying outside the same Planned Parenthood.

“What we’ve got here is a bunch of … pseudo Christian protesters who’ve been out here shaming young girls for being here. So, here’s the deal, I’ve got $100 to anybody who will identify these three, and I will donate to Planned Parenthood,” Sims said in the video.

His requests suggest that the state representative may be trying to intimidate pro-life advocates through doxxing, an online practice where a person’s name and contact information are posted publicly online usually to encourage harassment.

His harassment, videotaping and online postings may have violated consent and cyberbullying laws.

Dr. Monique Ruberu, a pro-life sidewalk counselor and advocate in the city, said the woman in the first video is one of the sidewalk counselors with her group. She said the woman told her, “I have forgiven him and am praying for him.”

The Planned Parenthood abortion clinic where Sims harassed women has failed 13 of its 23 safety inspections.