Director of Worcester crisis pregnancy center calls vandalism 'domestic terrorism'
WORCESTER – Police are investigating after two crisis pregnancy centers in Worcester were vandalized on Thursday.
Windows have since been boarded up at Clearway Clinic on Shrewsbury Street after they were smashed overnight. Blue and yellow paint was splashed on Problem Pregnancy on Pleasant Street.
There was also graffiti outside of both clinics that said "Jane's Revenge," an abortion rights organization that was formed after the Roe v. Wade draft opinion was first leaked.
WBZ-TV has confirmed that both facilities are crisis pregnancy centers. Attorney General Maura Healey warned this week crisis pregnancy centers offer counseling services, pregnancy tests, and encourage people to continue their pregnancies.
"While crisis pregnancy centers claim to offer reproductive healthcare services, their goal is to prevent people from accessing abortion and contraception," Healey said on Wednesday. "In Massachusetts, you have the right to a safe and legal abortion. We want to ensure that patients can protect themselves from deceptive and coercive tactics when seeking the care they need."
There has been a spike in incidents involving crisis pregnancy centers around the country in recent weeks.
A spokesperson for Healey released a statement following the Worcester vandalism incidents.
We condemn all forms of violence and destruction of property within our communities. Our office will continue to focus on ensuring that patients seeking abortion care are safe and well-informed about their options.
Worcester Police only confirmed that they are investigating.
Kelly Wilcox is the executive director of Clearway Clinic.
"Anyone in the community should be concerned about nay kind of domestic terrorism. Certainly you should be. We should all be," Wilcox said. "These are abortion extremists. I don't think all people who support abortion would do such extremist acts. But these are clearly domestic terrorists, an organization called Jane's Revenge."
Francisco Costa lives in the neighborhood. His wife heard the sound of shattering glass overnight.
"I've lived here for a year. So that's been a quiet neighborhood. To hear that, it makes worry about what's going to happen next," he said.
Wilcox, meanwhile, said the clinic will not be intimidated by the acts of vandalism.
"No, we're not concerned. These acts have been cowardly and they've been at nighttime, so we continue on," Wilcox said.
