A Planned Parenthood facility in Southern California was set on fire Wednesday in an apparent arson, becoming the latest incident in a growing number of attacks on abortion providers.
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“One suspect approached the clinic and used the rock to break the glass and tossed an accelerant inside and ignited it”, said Capt. John Reilly of the sheriff’s department.
“You’re putting the community at risk when you’re doing something like this”, Det. “The reasons behind why the person did what they did, we don’t know”. Officials say there was likely more damage from the building’s sprinklers than from the fire.
Crews quickly extinguished the small fire in an office, but the building’s sprinkler system caused extensive water damage. Nobody was inside the clinic at the time.
“There’s no evidence to suggest they’re connected”, Reilly said.
The fire comes as Planned Parenthood faces widespread backlash over a series of undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress that show executives discussing supplying tissue from aborted fetuses for scientific research.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement: “The toxic rhetoric directed at Planned Parenthood has unsafe consequences”. “The Thousand Oaks Health Center provides over 7,000 patients with a wide range of health care services each year”.
Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards defends her organization before Congress Tuesday, the day before a bill temporarily continuing its federal funds was approved.
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“While this extremism is deeply troubling, our focus is on providing high-quality, compassionate healthcare to the millions of women, men, and young people across the country who rely on us”, Custer said.
Former patients of the clinic were outraged Thursday.
“I’m just a strong supporter of women’s rights”, Bock said as he surveyed the damage. Rep. Black introduced a bill to defund Planned Parenthood.
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But a few public officials on Thursday linked it to current criticism of Planned Parenthood.
