CBN.com is reporting on the episode that happened on Saturday, December 2, at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Roanoke, Virginia. Several members of Students for Life of America from Liberty University were peacefully sidewalk counseling along with Students for Life of America High School Fellow, Purity Thomas.
The students gather weekly outside the clinic on Saturdays, which is the day abortions are committed, to offer prayer and resources to women who enter the clinic.
It was about 8:30 a.m. when an unnamed woman confronted the group and began threatening to beat them up. She stole a sign from one of the students that read, “All people are made in the image of God” and started to walk away.
Thomas told the woman, "We're praying for you."
The woman then turned around and came back, saying, "Maybe I should take your sign too?"
“This is our property,” said Thomas, who was not standing on land owned by the clinic.
“Yeah? And it’s my property too,” the woman says and continues to approach the students.
Thomas calmly restates the fact that she has a right to be at the clinic while the woman argues and comes upon her. She grabs Thomas’ sign and tries to tear it up but because it’s plastic, she can only fold it instead.
She then strikes Thomas in the face just below her eye on the left cheek. In the video that was taken of the episode, Thomas turns around and takes a step or two before falling to the ground.
In an interview with CBN, Thomas said the blow stunned her. As she got up off the ground, she told the woman, "I love you!" but there was no reaction from her as she continued to walk into the facility.
The students immediately called police and a report was filed.
It was later determined that Thomas had suffered a mild concussion as a result of the blow.
As of this writing, it is not known if the woman is an employee of Planned Parenthood or how she is affiliated with the clinic.
Kristan Hawkins, Students for Life of America president, said: "It's horrific that a minor expressing love for pregnant women was targeted for violence. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident."
If the attack was intended to scare her off, it didn’t work. Thomas says it will not stop her from demonstrating in front of the clinic in the future.
Today’s pro-life youth need a lot more than this to deter them. Our Young Women of Grace club not only had members who were pro-life, but who lived with persecution for their views every day in school. As this blog reports, they endure the PC culture that wants to brand them as “haters” but they refuse to let it conquer them. Instead, they remain “centered” in their faith and in the “sisterhood” that developed among them in the club.
Even though our young people are brave, they still need encouragement. Click here if you’d like to send a message of support to Purity!
