Violence against abortion providers and clinics skyrocketed following the Supreme Court’s decision to repeal Roe v. Wade last year, according to a new study.
The National Abortion Federation released its annual report on violence and disruption against abortion providers on Thursday morning, and the numbers are striking. NAF found that all forms of violence ― including arson, burglary, death threats, stalking, invasions and bomb threats ― has increased significantly since 2021.
From 2021 to 2022, around the country, burglary increased by 231%, stalking of clinic staff and patients increased by 229%, arson increased by 100%, and invasions of clinics increased by 25%.
Several states enacted near-total abortion bans immediately after the Supreme Court’s decision, which forced many abortion clinics to shut down in red states. Anti-abortion extremists then shifted their attention to states that continue to protect abortion care, leading to a disproportionate increase in violence and threats of violence in areas.
“The threat of violence against abortion providers unfortunately remains on the rise despite dozens of clinic closures across the nation,” Michelle Davidson, security director at National Abortion Federation, said during a Wednesday press call. “The 2022 violence and disruption statistics indicate that anti-abortion extremists were emboldened by the SCOTUS decision and state level wins.”
In states where abortion is protected, stalking increased by 913% (from eight cases in 2021 to 81 in 2022), bomb threats increased by 133% (from three in 2021 to seven in 2022) and burglaries increased by 100% (five in 2021 to 10 in 2022). The National Abortion Federation defined these states using Guttmacher Institute’s analysis of abortion care in the U.S., including states that fall into the categories of “most protective,” “very protective,” “protective” and “some restrictions/protections.”
“This is definitely an ongoing issue and fear for us,” said Julie Burkhart, president of Wellspring Health Access abortion clinic in Casper, Wyoming, and co-owner of another abortion clinic, Hope Clinic, in Illinois.
Burkhart recounted how weeks before the Dobbs decision came down, anti-abortion extremists broke into her Wyoming clinic and set the building on fire. She and her team were set to open the new clinic in just a few weeks, but the fire destroyed everything ― forcing them to renovate for another 11 months before they could…
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