Violent abortion supporters have been dangerously harassing peaceful, pro-life advocates on the sidewalk of Planned Parenthood in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Love Life, along with several other groups and churches, are on the sidewalk almost daily to offer women compassionate support and life-affirming options as they hurry from their cars, scared and often alone, to the doors of Planned Parenthood Chapel Hill.
In 2023, this dangerous clinic sent four women to the hospital in just five months – all for severe hemorrhaging. Operation Rescue, along with other national groups like CEC For Life and Life Legal Defense Foundation, have assisted this faithful pro-life community in submitting complaints regarding these numerous emergencies, even appealing to a supposed pro-life lieutenant governor.
Despite these efforts, citizens were recently notified by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) that it was “unable to verify” the complaints “based on the information available.” That “information” was obtained during a single inspection the state performed nearly a year after receiving the first of several complaints.
Meanwhile, violence from abortion supporters is on the rise for these peaceful, prayerful citizens.
Irate Man Destroys Banner
According to advocates on the sidewalk, on Friday, February 2, an irate man stopped in the road, jumped from his vehicle and tore a pro-life banner from its piped frame while praying citizens attempted to stay out of his way. Yelling the entire time, he grabbed half of the banner and threw it into his car as he climbed back in and sped off, still screaming expletives from his window.
Law enforcement was contacted and, according to the investigator, a warrant will be issued.
Angela Sarvis, Sidewalk Outreach Director for the Love Life group on the sidewalk that day, commented, “We aren’t always sure what triggers people to act this way. We are here providing options for women in a very loving and kind way. We want to make sure every person knows that there are options besides abortion and that we won’t abandon them but walk them through the pregnancy and after. We are offering help, hope, love and Jesus.”
Man Threatens Pro-Lifers with Gun
Several weeks before this incident, another man drove by on November 11 and, from a distance, waved a handgun and yelled at the citizens on the sidewalk. On December 16, the same man returned, only this time he stopped directly in front of the clinic and proceeded to argue with a church group that comes once a month and holds signs with Scriptures from the Bible.
At one point, the man asked, “Do you want to meet God today?” and reached toward his glove compartment, as if towards a gun.
Two sidewalk advocates went to the police station shortly after to attempt to identify the man. Thanks to their vigilance, the man was eventually arrested. However, citizens report he was let off with only a warning that another offense would land him in jail.
“These peaceful, prayerful citizens are risking their own safety to care for women who think a dangerous abortion clinic is their only option,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, “while state officials do the bare minimum to investigate women being carted away with severe hemorrhaging. And police let a gun-waving maniac off with a warning. It’s an absolutely upside-down sense of justice.”
This comes on the heels of recent national news regarding six pro-lifers facing a decade in prison for peacefully sitting in a hallway outside of an abortion clinic lobby.
“Pro-life citizens are bearing the brunt of the Biden administration’s absolute hatred for life in the womb and free speech for all citizens,” adds Newman. “More and more, we are seeing citizens who advocate for the innocent preborn targeted by the DOJ and state officials. This public bias creates more violence from abortion supporters that, of course, goes completely unanswered. We can only hope and pray that conservative Chrisitian voters remember this dangerous bias when they go to the polls this November. If we don’t make our voices known with our votes, we soon will not have a voice at all.”
LifeNews Note: Sarah Neely writes for Operation Rescue.