Authorities are investigating a suspected arson attack at a Planned Parenthood clinic in central Illinois just two days after sweeping protections for abortion rights in the state were signed into law.
Mary Kate Zander, executive director of the antiabortion organization Illinois Right to Life, condemned the attack on the Peoria clinic, saying in a statement to WLS, “We would never condone violence against any Planned Parenthood or any other abortion clinic.”“The primary reason that we stand against abortion is that it’s an act of violence,” Zander said. “So it would be hypocritical of us to not say the same in the case of an act of violence against abortion workers.
While the Peoria Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division obtained video footage that identified the vehicle of a suspect, no arrests had been made as of early Thursday. Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying and finding the truck and driver they think were involved in the attack. The investigation is ongoing.
Welch emphasized that the Peoria facility does not perform “in-clinic procedures,” but does provide other reproductive and sexual health-care services. She vowed that Planned Parenthood would work with authorities to prosecute the perpetrator “to the fullest extent of the law.” “The vast majority of our Peoria Health Center patients were coming to us for family planning, STI testing and treatment and other reproductive health care,” she said in a statement. “This act of vandalism will have a devastating impact on the community’s ability to access birth control, cancer screenings and gender-affirming care.”
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