A memo from the Department of Homeland Security warns that radical abortion activists are plotting violence against SCOTUS Justices.
The memo, first reported by Axios, came from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, and said that following the leak of the draft opinion from SCOTUS that would overturn Roe v. Wade, they were investigating various threats of violence against the Justices, including murder threats, and threats to burn the Supreme Court down.
Attacks are also likely to target places of worship and peaceful demonstrators, and that the threats of violence from abortion activists against SCOTUS Justices and their staff are “likely to persist and may increase leading up to and following the issuing of the Court’s official ruling.”
In the memo, DHS noted that while historically, threats of violence around the topic of abortion have been more concentrated against abortion clinics themselves, “going forward, grievances related to restricting abortion access could fuel violence by pro-choice abortion-related violent extremists.”
Intelligence officials around DC have currently flagged 25 serious threats on social media, including posts related to encouraging violence at a pro-life protest outside SCOTUS on Tuesday, “by sharing comments related to terrorist vehicle rammings” of the demonstrators.
However, DHS made sure to clarify that “the mere advocacy of political or social positions, political activism, use of strong rhetoric, or generalized philosophical embrace of violent tactits does not constitute domestic violent extremism or illegal activity and is constitutionally protected,” a position that a DHS spokesman reiterated to Axios.
Violence has already been committed against pro-life organisations since the Roe opinion leak. On May 8, the headquarters of Wisconsin Family Action faced an arson attack, with graffiti found at the scene reading “if abortions aren’t safe, you aren’t either,” along with symbols “typically used by anarchist violent extremists… to convey anti-law enforcement sentiment.”
A pro-life pregnancy centre in Texas was targeted one day later, and spray-painted with various messages including “forced birth is murder,” and “not a clinic.” St Patrick’s Old Cathedral in New York City received several bomb and arson threats last week.
As Valiant News reported, nearly 100 protesters gathered outside the Maryland home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, before marching to the nearby home of Chief Justice John Roberts, with Justice Samuel Alito forced to move to a secure location after receiving threats from pro-abortion radicals. Justice Amy Coney Barrett was also targeted following the leak.
