On the same day the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the National Abortion Federation (NAF) released its latest report on the state of violence and harassment aimed at abortion clinics.
NAF found significant increases in violence and disruptions last year — and we know that it will only get worse. The Supreme Court’s ruling and state bans will further increase polarization and embolden anti-abortion extremists to harass abortion providers and patients.
All 9 clinics managed by Whole Woman’s Health are members of NAF and contributed to this report, along with 580 clinics in the U.S. and 36 clinics in Canada and Colombia. Here’s what they found:
- 600% increase of in-person stalking incidents
- 450% increase in physical blockades
- 163% increase in hoax devices and suspicious packages
- 129% in clinic invasion
- 128% increase in assault and battery of staff
- 63% increase in burglaries
- 54% increase in vandalism
Clinics are also in danger online. Since 2015, incidents of hate email and internet harassment reached into the tens of thousands. See the full 2021 report, which also draws the connections between the January 6th insurrection and the anti-abortion movement.
Security, which is always a major concern for abortion clinics like ours, is becoming even more urgent. Our clinics are already experiencing an increase in harassment since last Friday.
As we take critical steps to protect our clinic spaces, staff, and patients, we need your support.
