Pro-life activists with the group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU) called for the impeachment of U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland over a recent FBI raid at a pro-life activist's home.
PAAU, led by Terrisa Bukovinac, held a press conference outside the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday in Washington D.C., less than two weeks after the FBI raided the home of pro-life activist Mark Houck and arrested him in front of his wife and children.
At the time, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania accused Houck of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act following an altercation with a man who was volunteering at a Planned Parenthood clinic in October 2021. The FACE Act, which was passed in 1994, places charges on anyone who "intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person" aiding or performing abortions."
According to the DOJ, Houck allegedly assaulted the volunteer twice "because he was a volunteer reproductive health care clinic escort."
However, a fundraiser launched after Houck's arrest claimed that the volunteer "harassed" both the pro-life activist and his 12-year-old son while they were praying outside a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood facility.
"When one of the escorts began harassing Mark's son, they walked down the street away from the entrance to the building. The escort followed them, and when he continued yelling at Mark's son, Mark pushed him away," the fundraiser stated.
As reported by The Christian Post, the pro-life community was outraged over the FBI raid of Houck's home and his subsequent arrest. Bukovinac noted that the raid was another example of the DOJ's crackdown on pro-life activists "while allowing violent pro-abortion extremists to terrorize churches and pregnancy centers across the country."
"I watched in horror as the U.S. Department of Justice has been weaponized to arrest peaceful, non-violent pro-life activists," Bukovinac said. She also pointed out that "at least 18 peaceful, non-violent protesters" were charged with federal hate crimes this past year under the FACE ACT.
Bukovinac contended that the legislation was designed as an effort to "crush a non-violent resistance that mobilized tens of thousands of people for direct action on behalf of the unborn."
After a draft opinion indicating that the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked and published by Politico in May, a number of churches and pro-life pregnancy centers were vandalized and firebombed by abortion activists. After the Supreme Court officially overturned Roe on June 24, there was additional vandalism.
"We have also seen churches blocked by pro-abortion radicals without any action taken by the Department of Justice," Bukovinac lamented. "This is unjust. We cannot allow this discrimination to continue. We are urging Congress to take action; we are urging them to impeach Garland to protect justice and to dismantle the FACE Act altogether."
During the Wednesday protest outside of the DOJ, pro-life leaders and onlookers chanted, "Protect justice, impeach Garland."
PAAU plans to hold a separate protest outside of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on Thursday for spearheading Houck's arrest. Bukovinac also hinted at a possible protest in front of the FBI headquarters and noted that more events would occur if the DOJ's actions became more "draconian."
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Kevin Dietsch/Staff
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
