“Quit or Die.”
On Wednesday, September 9, Planned Parenthood staff, and everyone else who worked in the Lake Otis Way building, were greeted first thing in the morning by this message.
The phrase was painted on the front doors, along with other threatening messages painted on the walls and sidewalk. Some messages were anti-abortion, others were simply violent.
“Many of these messages were violent threats, such as the ‘quit or die’ language,” said Katie Rogers, PPGNHI Communications Director.
Rogers said there has been an “alarming increase in hostility against abortion providers and patients across the country in recent months."
In the wake of the violent graffiti, Anchorage Health Center manager Jenna Kroll said, “Community support has been really great. We really need it more than ever, and I’m so grateful it’s there.”
Kroll also expressed empathy for the organizations and their staff sharing the Lake Otis Way building with Planned Parenthood. She noted that Planned Parenthood employees have some level of awareness and preparedness for protests and vandalism, and “the shock was probably even worse for the folks with the other companies in the building.”
Kroll added, “[Our building’s] maintenance company had everything cleaned up and gone within a few hours, so luckily not many patients were affected.”
You can show support for the Anchorage health center, its staff and community by donating here.
Tags: clinic-safety, Threat, Vandalization