Staff Reports
The Washington Examiner wrote an article that the Justice Department secured convictions for six activists who blocked the entrance to a Tennessee abortion clinic, and the decision has some conservatives hot under the collar. The activists entered a hallway of the carafem abortion clinic singing hymns and praying while obstructing the clinic’s entrance. They were later arrested for trespassing misdemeanors. A year and a half later, the FBI showed up at their doors, and they were charged with the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and conspiracy against rights, a felony. Now, each of them could face up to 10.5 years in prison.
Conservatives are crying foul over these federal convictions, arguing that the DOJ is unfairly targeting those on the right while going easy on left-leaning groups, such as supporters of abortion access and Black Lives Matter. The number of cases brought against anti-abortion activists under President Joe Biden’s administration has seen a significant increase compared to those during the Trump administration.
Anti-abortion convictions spotlight DOJ’s handling of protesters #TwoTieredJustice https://t.co/farUbhY1Se via @dcexaminer
— NoMorningJoeFan ?? (@MorningJoeFan) February 2, 2024
The FACE Act, which makes it a federal crime to physically obstruct, injure, or intimidate individuals seeking or providing reproductive healthcare services, has been a sore spot for many anti-abortion advocates who accuse the DOJ of wielding it as a weapon against them. Critics argue that the act is being applied in a one-sided manner to suppress pro-life activists, rather than being used as intended to protect all individuals involved in reproductive healthcare services.
Some conservatives, like Representative Mark Green, are incensed by the seemingly harsh treatment of the Tennessee activists compared to the leniency shown towards Black Lives Matter activists. They argue that the DOJ’s response to the protests following George Floyd’s death was much softer, with many of the charges being dismissed, and that the same leniency has not been extended to those protesting against abortion.
Furthermore, conservatives point to the lack of action by the DOJ when protesters targeted the homes of Republican-appointed justices after leaked opinions indicated they would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. Protesters were reported to have published the justices’ addresses and, in one incident, a man was arrested for threatening to assassinate a justice, but the DOJ did not make any arrests besides that one.
Overall, conservatives are painting a picture of a Justice Department that has shown preferential treatment towards left-leaning groups while aggressively pursuing and penalizing individuals with right-leaning viewpoints. They see these recent convictions as a prime example of this bias and are using it to fuel their criticism of the current administration’s approach to law enforcement
