Abortion groups: Investigate Planned Parenthood shooting as domestic terrorism

Abortion rights groups are calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate last week’s attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colo., as an act of domestic terrorism.

NARAL Pro-Choice America, along with advocates from UltraViolet, CREDO Action and Courage Campaign, blamed anti-abortion rhetoric from right-wing lawmakers, presidential candidates and state governors over the last several months for the Black Friday attack, which left three dead, including one police officer, and nine others injured.

{mosads}“This was not a random shooting, this was politically motivated and it must be called out as such,” Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, told reporters Wednesday.

Planned Parenthood officials have said the attacks were triggered by the undercover videos released earlier this year by anti-abortion activists accusing the group of donating fetal tissue and profiting from the transactions.

The Colorado shooting suspect, Robert Dear, reportedly told police, “No more baby parts,” as he was being arrested.

Laura Leavitt, campaign manager at the Courage Campaign, said Republican presidential candidates in particular, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and former CEO Carly Fiorina, have made baseless accusations and are spreading fear and hate in an attempt to shut down one of the most important avenues women have to access healthcare.

“We refuse to let these candidates off the hook,” Leavitt said, urging the DOJ to take action and hold the candidates responsible for their inflammatory rhetoric.

Shaunna Thomas, co-founder and co-executive director of UltraViolet, said the DOJ has a strong and established history of fighting domestic terrorism and women have a constitutionally protected freedom to access care.