Why anyone would attack Austin LifeCare is difficult to understand.
The pro-life pregnancy center provides free resources to pregnant and parenting families who are struggling. Through its doors, they can receive medical care from licensed medical professionals, referrals to social services, professional counseling, baby items, maternity clothes and more. This month, the nonprofit plans to begin offering first-trimester prenatal care services as well.
But last week, the Texas nonprofit was vandalized for the second time this year, according to The Christian Post. Someone spray-painted its newly painted building with the phrases “fake clinic” and “liars,” the report states.
Andy Schoonover, CEO of Austin LifeCare, said these types of attacks happen with pro-life outreach.
“After all, we had a rock thrown through the window just a couple of months back,” he told the Christian Post. “We are in Austin. We are fighting for women and their babies. This just comes with the territory.”
Earlier this year, abortion activists slammed the pregnancy center in local news reports after it displaced a local abortion business, Whole Women’s Health, by outbidding it for a lease. Whole Woman’s Health is a Texas-based abortion chain with a long record of health and safety violations.
Schoonover told One News Now that local volunteers are donating paint and time to cover up the vandalism and restore the building. He said they also plan to install cameras to help prevent future vandalism. To donate, click here.
“We’re here to be pro-woman,” he said. “We really do believe that there are a number of women who have unplanned pregnancies that feel pressured to have an abortion, and what we really want to do is give them an informed choice. We want to talk them through their options, and that is termination, adoption or parenting.”
Click here to sign up for pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com
The nonprofit has helped about 30,000 women so far, Schoonover said. It also provides free services to fathers and to babies from the time they are in the womb up to age 3.
Schoonover said most of their clients are facing major struggles, and LifeCare staff and volunteers provide them with resources and hope.
“Many of them are not in stable living situations. They are either not working or don’t earn enough money to be financially secure. And they are in unhealthy relationships and don’t have family support,” he said.
“We work to help remove some of these barriers and provide them with the support and education needed for them to be more secure in their present situation,” Schoonover told the Christian Post. “That security gives them the confidence to know they can be a good parent and care for their baby well.”
He offered compassion to those vandalizing the pregnancy center as well. He said the individuals likely are hurting and need healing.
Pregnancy centers increasingly have become targets of vandalism and smear campaigns by abortion activists. This summer, two pregnancy centers’ mobile vans were vandalized in Chicago and North Carolina. In February, another pro-life pregnancy center was vandalize in Virginia in the midst of a heated political debate about a pro-abortion bill. And in May, someone spray-painted pro-abortion graffiti on a Catholic church in Philadelphia.
LifeNews has reported a rash of disruptive, harassing and violent incidents this year:
- Australia – Pro-Life MPs Receive Death Threats After Voting Against Radical Pro-Abortion Bill
- England – Christian Family’s Window Smashed after Displaying Pro-Life Poster (UK Metro)
- Illinois – Chicago Pregnancy Center’s Mobile Van Vandalized, Tires Slashed
- Washington, D.C. – Man who mocked, threatened to shoot pro-lifers at D.C. Planned Parenthood goes free (Live Action News)
- England – Scottish MP Receives Threats after Voting Against Pro-Abortion Bill (News Letter)
- North Carolina – Pregnancy Center Van Vandalized with Pro-Abortion Graffiti
- Wisconsin – Woman Arrested for Allegedly Vandalizing Pro-Life Display, Pushing Pro-Life Advocate (Created Equal)
- Texas – Anarchist Group Threatens to Dox Students who Join Conservative Pro-Life Groups (College Fix)
- Canada – Canadian Movie Theater Cancels “Unplanned” After Abortion Activists Threaten Violence, Catholic Herald Reports 2 Death Threats
- Canada – “Unplanned” Movie Premiers in Theaters Across Canada Despite Censorship and Pro-Abortion Threats
- North Carolina – Abortion Activists Arrested at City Council Meeting about Ordinance Restricting Free Speech (Charlotte Observer)
- Washington state – Video: Person Caught Stealing Crosses from Pro-Life Display (Students for Life)
- Ireland – Pro-Life Student Receives Death Threat after Writing Column Defending the Unborn (The Irish Catholic)
- Alabama – Pro-Life Sidewalk Counselors: Driver Tried to Hit Us outside Abortion Clinic (Live Action)
- Massachusetts – Abortion Activists Arrested After Throwing Urine on Pro-Life Speaker
- Illinois – Pro-Life College Student Receives Death Threats for Proposing Cuts to Abortion Funding (Fox News)
- Missouri – Abortion Activists Arrested at Protest Demanding Pro-Life Governor Keep Dangerous Abortion Clinic Open (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Florida – Video: Student Wrecks Pro-Life Display at University of Central Florida (Created Equal)
- Alabama – Abortion Advocates Threatened to Rape Pro-Life Legislator’s Wife After He Voted for Abortion Ban
- Mississippi – Pro-Life Advocate Hit with Cane, Pushed at Pro-Abortion Rally
- Ohio – Abortion Activists Spit on Pro-Life Woman, Threaten Rape (Created Equal)
- Ohio – Abortion Activist: Pro-Life Advocates “Deserve To Be Shot” (Created Equal)
- Washington, D.C. – Student: Abortion Activists Pushed, Threatened Him at National Protest (Breitbart)
- New Jersey – Student Pro-Life Display Vandalized, Signs Stolen (The Signal, College of New Jersey)
- Pennsylvania – Catholic Church Vandalized with Pro-Abortion Slogan
- Abortion Activists Threaten to Kill, Rape Wife and Daughter of Pro-Life Writer Matt Walsh
- Michigan – Pro-Life Office Vandalized after Lawmakers Pass Bill to Protect Unborn Babies
- North Carolina – Student Arrested for Stealing Sign from Pro-Life Advocates on Campus
- Alabama — Abortion Activist Caught on Camera Assaulting Pro-Life Woman, Punches Her Repeatedly
- California – Video: Student Destroys Pro-Life Display on Campus (Students for Life)
- Washington state – Police Investigating Arson after Pro-Life Display Set on Fire on Campus
- North Carolina – Video: Student Charged after Punching Pro-Lifer Repeatedly in the Face
- Pennsylvania – State Lawmaker Berates Pro-Life Woman, Attempts to Doxx Pro-Life Teenage Girls
- California – FBI Arrests Man for Allegedly “Serious” Death Threats against Pro-Life Speaker Ben Shapiro, Family (TMZ)
- Alabama – Abortion Activist Throws Paint inside Alabama House as Lawmakers Vote to Ban Abortion
- Texas – University of Texas Austin Student Pro-Life Materials Stolen, Thrown in the Gutter (Students for Life)
- More Than 50 Pro-Life Student Displays Vandalized This School Year (Students for Life)
- Texas – Abortion Activists Try to Shut Down Pro-Life Speaker With Smokebomb. They Failed
- Washington state – Conservative Student: Man Vandalized Display, Tried to Hit Her With Car Twice (The College Fix)
- Kentucky – Elderly Pro-Life Woman Attacked Outside Abortion Facility, Thighbone Broken
- Illinois – Thief Steals Pro-Life Students’ Display at Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville (Students for Life)
- Texas – Police Investigate Threats Against Pro-Life Republican Lawmakers (Dallas News)
- Missouri – Pro-life Speaker Michael Knowles attacked during speech at University of Missouri-Kansas City (Campus Reform)
- California – Pro-Abortion Students Throw Pro-Life Display Into River, Protest Pro-Life Speech With Coat Hangers
- California – WATCH: Planned Parenthood Supporter Brutally Assaults Elderly Pro-Life Volunteer
- Massachusetts – Massachusetts Citizens for Life Receives Suspicious Package, Building Shut Down
- Michigan – Video: Abortion Activists Steal Crosses from Pro-Life Display at University of Michigan
- Massachusetts – Pro-lifer Punched in Face Outside Abortion Facility
- Connecticut – Pro-Life Students’ Display Vandalized at University of Connecticut
- Missouri – Items Stolen, Vandalized from Church Pro-Life Display (WDAF Kansas City)
- Minnesota – Campus Republican Club Catches Students on Video Tearing Down Pro-Life Fliers (College Fix)
- Australia – Video: Pro-Abortion Students Vandalize Pro-Life Campus Display (LifeChoice Australia)
- England – Police Investigate Violent Attacks on Pro-Life People at Prayer Vigils
- Ohio – Abortion Activists Harass Pro-Life Rape Survivor, Police Called
- Washington state – 3 Pro-Life Billboards Vandalized: “Your Life Drains Earth” (The Blaze)
- California – Abortion Activists Destroy, Steal UCLA Pro-Life Club Signs (Live Action)
- Virginia – Pregnancy Center Vandalized in Politically Motivated Attack
- Washington, D.C. – Abortion Activists Smash Pro-Life Sign, Hit Boy and His Dad With a Stick
- France – Abortion Activists Spraypaint “Blessed Abortion” on Catholic Church (National Catholic Register)
- Texas – Pro-Life Advocate Brutally Assaulted for Telling Man “Jesus Loves You”