Vandalism, Protests Spark Increased Security At Planned Parenthood LA Health Clinics

As originally published in LAIst on June 30, 2023.

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.

“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. 

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.

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.