Pro-life leader Lila Rose slams violent attack on activist and hails Trump’s defunding move against Planned Parenthood.

Assault on Pro-Life Advocate Sparks Outrage

Lila Rose, founder and president of the pro-life organization Live Action, has spoken out following a physical assault on activist Savannah Craven Antao in New York City. The incident occurred while Antao was conducting street interviews on abortion, engaging a woman identified as Brianna J. Rivers. The exchange turned violent, resulting in Antao being punched, left bleeding, and requiring emergency medical attention, including stitches.

Rivers, 30, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault. A video captured by Antao’s husband, who was filming the interviews, shows Rivers launching a sudden attack during the discussion.

“You can’t just go punching and assaulting people and sending them to the emergency room for stitches,” Rose stated, emphasizing the dangers of escalating political discourse into violence. “This woman kind of just marched off yelling profanities.”

The incident triggered mixed reactions online, with some social media users justifying the violence. “It was really troubling to see the response by some,” Rose said. “Some people said Savannah had it coming just for talking about the issue. As if a conversation merits a punch to the face.”

Rose warned of a growing sentiment that political disagreement justifies violence. “There is, I think, a growing group of people who think that violence against people you disagree with politically is okay,” she said. “Particularly those who support the violence of abortion think it’s acceptable to be violent toward those who oppose it.”

Trump’s Defunding Move Applauded by Pro-Life Group

Turning to federal policy, Rose praised President Donald Trump’s recent decision to withhold tens of millions of dollars from Planned Parenthood due to suspected civil rights violations. “I thought this was a great step in the right direction,” Rose said, criticizing Planned Parenthood for what she described as its contradiction between mission and practice. “They destroy parenthood.”

While recognizing the funding cut as a positive move, Rose noted that it only represents a fraction of the organization’s federal support. “This is a small step forward, but what we need to see from the federal branch is more responsibility and accountability to stop funding abortion providers,” she added.

According to Rose, abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood continue to receive substantial Medicaid funding that indirectly supports abortion services. “The money is fungible,” she argued. “Planned Parenthood is billing Medicaid for operational expenses that ultimately prop up their abortion business.”

She also called for the removal of mifepristone, the abortion pill used alongside misoprostol. Citing a study by the Ethics & Public Policy Center, Rose warned that the drug leads to serious health issues in nearly 11% of users. “We need to see the abortion pill pulled from the market,” she said.

Medication abortions now represent 63% of clinician-provided abortions, and Rose expressed concern over their increasing prevalence. “No taxpayer money should be going to them,” she concluded. “They should be shut down.”