WORCESTER, Mass. — Vandals targeted two ‘pregnancy crisis’ centers in Worcester Thursday and the head of one of them is calling it ‘domestic terrorism.’
“Anyone in the community should be concerned about any kind of domestic terrorism,” said Clearway Clinic’s Kelly Wilcox. “The attacks have been cowardly and they’ve been at night time.”
Clearway, on Shrewsbury Street, suffered substantial damage to its glass doors and a window. Within hours, the broken glass was replaced with plywood and the center opened for business.
The Pleasant Street facility was defaced with blue and gold paint which was splattered over the building it occupies. That center also opened. Employees would not talk with the media.
About two miles away, Problem Pregnancy was also hit.
One thing the attacks had in common was an inscription on the sidewalk. Near both buildings, the words ‘Jane’s Revenge’ was written.
It’s unclear if that group is connected to the vandalism -- but Jane’s Revenge, an abortion rights group formed after the Supreme Court document on overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked in May is known for targeting such ‘pregnancy crisis’ centers.
“These are abortion extremists,” Wilcox said. “I don’t think that all people who support abortion would do such extremist attacks.”
In a statement, Clearway Clinic said it was “deeply saddened that misunderstandings about what we do have led to pro-abortion extremists targeting our center.”
What Clearway Center -- and Problem Pregnancy do -- is provide pregnancy counseling services, but not abortions. In fact, on their respective websites, both clinics posit themselves as alternatives to Planned Parenthood for women considering abortion.
This week, in the wake of the overturning of Roe, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey warned women not to confuse legitimate abortion providers with pregnancy crisis centers. She accused the latter of engaging in deceptive practices and seeking to restrict access to abortions -- which remain legal in the Commonwealth.
However, a spokeswoman for Healey decried, Thursday, the vandalism of the centers.
“We condemn all forms of violence and destruction of property within our communities,” she said.
This browser does not support the video element.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW