Photo by Rachel Sadon

This evening, pro-choice group Reproaction is hosting a peaceful vigil outside of the Supreme Court Building, calling for an end to abortion terrorism and harassment.

The event is taking place in light of Friday’s shooting at a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Colorado Springs, where 57-year-old Robert Lewis Dear killed three people and injured nine.

Just hours before Friday’s deadly shooting, Reproaction’s partner NARAL Pro-Choice America, along with more than 140 groups and abortion providers, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice. The letter urged an investigation into the recent attacks on reproductive health clinics using all appropriate federal statutes, including domestic terrorism.”

Since the release of the first deceptively edited video from the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) intended to vilify Planned Parenthood, and, by proxy, all abortion providers, anti-choice extremists have launched an unprecedented and multi-pronged assault against women’s reproductive rights.

As you know, beginning in July when the first video was released and continuing through recent weeks, there have been multiple arson attacks and an outrageous number of threats against abortion providers. It’s clear that anti-choice extremists are using these videos as an excuse to commit violent attacks against trusted women’s health clinics. When hate rhetoric and threats incite violence, those responsible for committing violence need to be investigated for their acts of domestic terrorism.

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These recent attacks on clinics are part of a long history of ideologically driven clinic violence. Anti- choice individuals and organizations who target abortion providers seek to end reproductive freedom by any means necessary. Since 1993, eight clinic workers—including four doctors, two clinic employees, a clinic escort, and a security guard—have been murdered in the United States. Seventeen attempted murders have also occurred since 1991. Between 1977 and 2014, at least 42 bombings, 182 arsons, 99 attempted bombings and arsons and 662 bomb threats have been carried out against abortion providers.

While there isn’t a record of attacks at Washington D.C.-area abortion clinics, they do face other challenges. In September, the Amethyst Health Center for Women in Manassas, Virginia closed its doors for good, leaving only four abortion providers left in Northern Virginia. Its closure came during a tough time for abortion providers in Virginia, after former Governor Bob McDonnell introduced new regulations—”Rules and Regulations for the Licensure of Hospitals in Virginia”—that make it difficult for abortion clinics to remain open.

Tonight’s vigil will run from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and individuals are asked to bring a bring a battery-operated candle.