Vandals target Eastpointe pregnancy clinic, board member home

Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press
·3 min read
73

Pregnancy Aid Detroit, a clinic in Eastpointe, was the victim of vandalism early Saturday morning, along with a board member's home in Grosse Pointe Woods. The attackers spray-painted abortion-rights messages on the buildings and broke windows on the board member's home, the nonprofit group said.

This attack is similar to other incidents that have occurred in Michigan and across the country since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June and may be connected to a shadowy abortion-rights group called Jane's Revenge.

Nancy Anter, executive director of Pregnancy Aid Detroit, said she learned of the incident Saturday when the board member called to inform her of the vandalism at the board member's home. Anter said she went to the clinic where she found similar abortion-rights messages spray painted on the building.

"It goes beyond just us, we're a private charity. This is an assault on people's freedom to just be," Anter said Sunday.

There have been at least four similar attacks in Michigan this year:

  • Vandals spray-painted abortion-rights messages on exterior walls, broke windows 11 windows and three glass doors at the Lennon Pregnancy Center in Dearborn Heights in the early morning of June 20.

  • The building housing Rep. Tim Walberg's Congressional office in Jackson was vandalized with abortion-rights messages overnight on June 22.

  • The Mother and Unborn Baby Care Center in Southfield was attacked on Sep. 16, The Detroit News reported. Vandals broke multiple windows and spray-painted abortion-rights messages on the building.

  • The Church of the Resurrection, a Catholic Church in Lansing, was vandalized on the night of Oct. 8, WILX reported. Abortion-rights messages were spray-painted on the church doors and sidewalk in front of the building.

A number of incidents this year were claimed by Jane's Revenge, an extremist abortion rights group that targets anti-abortion clinics across the U.S. A photo provided by Pregnancy Aid Detroit shows Jane's Revenge spray-painted on the clinic exterior wall.

Pro-abortion messages spray-painted on the exterior wall of Pregnancy Aid Detroit clinic in Eastpointe on Dec. 17, 2022.
Pro-abortion messages spray-painted on the exterior wall of Pregnancy Aid Detroit clinic in Eastpointe on Dec. 17, 2022.

Pregnancy Aid Detroit filed a police report with Eastpointe police and the board member filed a separate report with Grosse Pointe Woods police. Both departments are working on the case with the FBI, Anter said.

More:Divorced Michigan couple fights over frozen embryo: She wants another baby. He doesn't.

More:Suspect dead in shooting at Dearborn Police station

Anter told the Detroit News the board member was awakened by a noise outside her home at 2 a.m. Saturday and looked outside to see two people, wearing masks and dark clothes, run from the house and jump into a Prius.

Anter said she doesn't understand why they were targeted, as their work is not political.

"What we do is very useful and our numbers show that and what we do is transparent and everyone is welcome," Anter said.

Pregnancy Aid Detroit remains open to serve the community, Amter said.

The Free Press left a message Sunday with the Eastpointe police seeking comment.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Eastpointe pregnancy clinic targeted with vandalism