FREDERICTON, New Brunswick, July 11, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Vandals have conducted a series of recent attacks on New Brunswick Right to Life’s (NBRTL) pregnancy crisis center, painting “choice” on the building and tearing down decorative outdoor flower boxes.
“There’s been a pattern over several years of escalating attacks against our House and it may well be the same person who’s responsible for the last three incidents which happened three nights in a row,” NBRTL executive director Peter Ryan told LifeSiteNews.com.
The Mother and Child House, where the attacks occurred, is located on Brunswick Street in Fredericton, adjacent to the Morgentaler abortion clinic.
The recent incidents occurred June 29, June 30 and July 1. Police were informed and are conducting an investigation, but without any leads Ryan says they cannot be expected to find the culprit.
“We suspect it’s somebody who just doesn’t like us,” Ryan said. “They didn’t just rip out the flowers, but they went to the trouble of yanking the whole fixture off the wall, which suggests there was some animosity toward us.”
Then, over the weekend, someone dumped food garbage into the pro-life group’s building through the mail slot on the front door. “It could very well be the same person” who is responsible, said Ryan.
“We’re appealing to whoever this is to please leave us alone and respect our choice to do what we do here, which is to help pregnant women in need,” Ryan told the Daily Gleaner. “We do help these women both before they’re considering abortion and after they’ve had abortions. We help these women just by offering compassion and support and information. We think that’s not a terrible thing.”
The pro-life veteran said the recent incidents remind him of previous occurrences involving an individual who would engage in “hit and run” verbal harassment attacks on the pro-lifers working at the Fredericton center, over a prolonged period.
The individual would come to the center, open the front door, and yell at the workers, before running off. The same man would “often” drive by the organization’s 40 Days for Life campaign in Fredericton and shout at the pro-lifers.
Ryan recounted that one particular day the man appeared at the pro-life office, indicating he was the person responsible for the verbal attacks.
“He was checking us out,” Ryan told LSN, recounting how the man asked if the group “hated women.” Yet, after engaging in a lengthy discussion with Ryan the man apologized for his actions and confessed, “maybe I shouldn’t have done what I did.”
“I could tell he was a troubled person in many ways. My heart went out to him because I could just see the confusion,” said Ryan.
Of the recent attacks, Ryan says he believes it could be the work of a similar “troubled individual.” “I don’t judge them,” said Ryan. “But I do pray that they will stop. It’s disconcerting, to say the least, when these things happen.”
He said he hopes that the news coverage will dissuade future attacks and encourage more people to be on the lookout for troublemakers around the building. The pro-life organization also has plans for an improved surveillance system.
Unfortunately, the group has also experienced heckling from workers at the next-door abortion mill, Ryan told LSN. The abortion facility’s staff were reportedly overheard by pro-life sidewalk counselors joking about the “new paint job” on the pro-life center, referring to the word “choice” painted on the wall in the same spot it has appeared during attacks on at least three prior occasions.
“We’re not going to stop because of that stuff,” said Ryan, “but it is upsetting.”