Abortion Activist Punches Pro-Life Woman Holding Sign Supporting Amy Coney Barrett

National   |   Micaiah Bilger   |   Sep 29, 2020   |   4:16PM   |   Washington, DC

A young pro-life leader was hit in the face Sunday during a protest against the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court, Students for Life Action said this week.

The pro-life organization said Washington, D.C. police made an arrest after 23-year-old Autumn Schimmer, of Chicago, (pictured) was assaulted. Schimmer is the communications and marketing manager at Students for Life Action.

She and several other pro-life advocates showed up at the pro-abortion rally to support Barrett, a highly respected conservative judge, law professor, wife and mother of seven. Students for Life said the pro-lifers were being peaceful.

Schimmer was holding a sign that read, “I can’t believe these ‘feminists’ are protesting a woman,” according to the pro-life organization.

A live video from Breitbart showed the assault, though not directly. In the video, Schimmer, who is wearing a white “Love Them Both” T-shirt, and other pro-life advocates can be seen holding signs and chanting pro-life messages.

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Beginning about 1 hour and 2 minutes into the livestream, the camera appears to be bumped and Schimmer can be seen stumbling backward. Immediately afterward, pro-lifers say she was hit in the face, and they call for police. Schimmer can be seen crying and trembling as the pro-lifers around her comfort her.

At other points in the video, a pro-abortion protester can be heard yelling at pro-lifers, “You piece of s—!” Later, another pro-life advocates can be heard telling someone, “Do not touch me! Do not touch me!” as a protester stands with a sign directly in front of her.

Afterward, Schimmer described what happened. She said she had been speaking to the woman about what it means to be a feminist when the woman hit her.

“I told her it means all women have the opportunity to be born,” she remembered. “She was mad that I didn’t respond to her question. And when I was chanting with one of my co-workers, she hit me in the face and told me that I’m not willing to have a conversation. … This just shows that the left is ok with violence.”

Afterward, Schimmer said the woman “ran away into the crowd to hide like a coward.”

“This is very upsetting. Being attacked by a pro-choicer just shows that the violence of abortion breeds a culture of violence and normalizes it,” she said.

Earlier this year, pro-lifers with Students for Life’s Watcom College chapter also said they were assaulted during a peaceful protest outside a Planned Parenthood in Bellingham, Washington. One student was punched in the face by a woman, according to witnesses with the pro-life organization. A day earlier, they said other students had eggs thrown at them and another was kicked.

Violence by pro-abortion activists has become increasingly common. LifeNews.com recorded more than 100 reports of assault, vandalism, harassment and other incidents in 2019. Our news outlet began tracking these reports after pro-life organizations expressed alarm about an uptick in violence in recent years.

Reports this year include:

Canada – Pro-Life Sign Splattered with Paint, Vandalized Twice in British Columbia (Vernon Morning Star)

New York – Church Memorial for Aborted Babies Knocked Over (Catholic News Agency)

Colorado – Pro-Life Billboard Vandalized Twice in One Week (Golden Transcript/Colorado Community Media)

California – Leftist Protester Arrested and Charged With Firebombing Republican Women’s Group Office

Oregon – Antifa Activists Assault Pro-Lifer Who Painted “Baby Lives Matter” in Front of Abortion Clinic

Tennessee – BLM Activists Vandalize Church’s Sign Saying “Unborn Lives Matter”

New York – Andrew Cuomo Threatens President Trump With Harm if He Visits New York: “He’ll Need Bodyguards”

Washington, D.C. – Pro-life Leader, Senator Harassed by Mob after Leaving White House (videos by Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul)

Delaware – Delaware Man Charged with Pulling Gun on Pro-Lifers Outside Planned Parenthood (Associated Press)

England – Pro-life MP Receives Death Threat after Voting against Pro-Abortion Bill (The Christian Institute)

South Carolina – Media Ignores Death Threats and Racial Slurs Sent to Black Pro-Life Senator Tim Scott

Ohio – Pro-Life Billboard Showing Hands Holding Baby Vandalized (Journal-News)

Mexico – Catholic Church Vandalized with Pro-Abortion Graffiti as State Debates Legalizing Abortion (Crux)

Illinois – Abortion Activists Pelt Pro-Lifers with Eggs Outside Planned Parenthood

United States – Abortion Activists Hack Pro-Life Student Event, ‘Bomb’ It With Gay Porn and Nazi Imagery

California – Pro-Life Billboard Vandalized in San Francisco (Prolife Across America)

Austria – Catholic Mission Vandalized with Pro-Abortion Graffiti, Windows Smashed in Salzburg (Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe, Kathnet)

Illinois – Video: Abortion Activist Vandalizes Pro-Life Sign near Chicago (Students for Life)

Canada – Pro-Life Billboard Smeared with Paint by Vandals near Kelowna (CastaNet)

Germany – Pregnancy Center Vandalized, Windows Smashed (Pregnancy Help News)

Oregon – Vandals Destroy “Pro-Trump. Pro-Life” Campaign Sign in Man’s Yard (Washington Times)

Texas – Pro-life Christian Threatened with Gun outside Fort Worth Abortion Facility (Fort Worth Star Telegram)

Texas – Abortion Worker Gives Pro-Lifer Bag of Vomit from Sick Woman During Coronavirus Outbreak (Operation Rescue)

Washington state – Abortion Activists Punch Pro-Life Student in the Face, Egg Others Praying Outside Planned Parenthood

Washington state – Abortion Activists Masturbate, Throw Glass and Yell “Hail Satan” at Students Praying Outside Abortion Clinic

Mexico – Pro-Abortion Feminists Smash Windows, Try To Break into Church Where Children Are Worshiping

Washington, D.C. – Video: Abortion Activist Threatens to Pepperspray Pro-Life Advocates at Georgetown (TFP Student Action)

Mexico – Radical Feminists Smash Car Windows, Set Buildings on Fire, Injure 65 People During Pro-Abortion Protest

Washington, D.C. – Chuck Schumer Threatens Gorsuch and Kavanaugh if They Uphold Pro-Life Law: “You Will Pay the Price”

Washington state – Video: Students Vandalize Pro-Life Chalk Display at Western Washington University (Students for Life)

California – Hundreds of Pro-Life Fliers Stolen at Cal-Poly ahead of Pro-Life Speaker’s Talk (Students for Life)

Ohio – Video: Mom Threatens to Shoot Pro-Life Advocate on Sidewalk (Created Equal)

New Hampshire – Man Arrested after Allegedly Assaulting 15-Year-Old Trump Supporter (Townhall)

California – Bernie Sanders Supporter Allegedly Vandalizes, Tries to Set Fire to GOP Office (KRCR News)

Florida – Man Arrested After Driving Van Into Table Full of Trump Supporters

Germany – Radical Pro-Abortion Feminists Vandalize Churches, Set Fire to Vehicle

Florida – Abortion Advocates Destroy Display of 1,000 Flags to Mourn Babies Killed in Abortions

Indiana – Pro-Life Ads Vandalized in South Bend, Second Time in 3 Months (Pregnancy Help News)

Washington, D.C. – Video: Student Swipes Pro-Life Sign from Daily Caller Reporter’s Hands

Washington, D.C. – Abortion Activist Threatens to Slit Pro-Life Student’s Throat at March for Life (Students for Life)

Guam – ‘Protect Unborn Babies’ Display Vandalized at Catholic Church (KUAM News)

Mississippi – Cross Display Vandalized, Crosses for Unborn Smashed into Pieces

Germany – Radical Feminists Set Pro-Life Columnist’s Vehicle on Fire