Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Vandalism, Protests Spark Increased Security At Planned Parenthood LA Health Clinics
In the year since the federal constitutional right to abortion ended, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles says vandalism (like the one on the image) is "up 100%" over the previous year.
(
Courtesy of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles
)
Planned Parenthood Los Angeles staff reported protesters to management more than 600 times at their 24 health center locations since last June. That’s when the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal right to an abortion.
Planned Parenthood L.A. CEO Sue Dunlap says since then, protests are getting bigger and more frequent.
“Here’s what that looks like. You've got kind of a small building being circled by people four, five, six deep all in matching T-shirts. Now that's incredibly intimidating for anyone seeking care,” she said.
Some protesters are peaceful, Dunlap said, while others hurl insults at patients and whoever is with them.
Support for LAist comes from
“Sometimes [patients] are there with a supportive partner and he may feel very protective. We see protesters calling out and verbally attacking or challenging or menacing the patient that partner is there to support. We’ve seen more than once partners get so, so upset,” she said.
The health centers offer a variety of reproductive health services, including routine care. Dunlap says the organization spent well over $1 million in the last year on security at their health centers, including hiring more guards.
“We've seen those folks [protesters] sometimes step in and try to physically connect with our patients. Our guards at that point try to support the patients in getting to their health centers … None of our patients have been attacked in any way whatsoever, unless you consider what I'm describing to be menacing,” Dunlap said.
Planned Parenthood L.A. CEO Sue Dunlap says they rarely had messages written around or on their health facilities before 2022.
(
Courtesy of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles
)
Vandals also paint messages such as “Baby Lives Matter” or “God Always Wins” on clinic walls and adjoining sidewalks, most recently over the Juneteenth holiday. Dunlap said she has a good working relationship with the L.A.P.D., L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and district attorney’s office, but now calls the police to report vandalism about once a week.
“We see approximately 1,000 people a day here in Los Angeles. Our patients are safe. Our employees are safe, but we shouldn't have to work so damn hard at it,” she said.
Support for LAist comes from
California has some of the strongest abortion protections in the nation, including a state constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2022 guaranteeing the right to an abortion and birth control for California residents.
Nationwide, there has been a “sharp increase” in violence at clinics that offer abortion services in 2022, the year when Roe v. Wade was overturned, according to the National Abortion Federation, a professional association for abortion providers. A disproportionate increase occurred in states that protect abortion rights.
In its annual report on violence, the federation says there were more major incidents at abortion clinics, including arson, burglaries, death threats and invasions last year than in 2021.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars. -
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
Best of LAist