Lauren Handy, 28 and Joan Andrews Bell, 74 are two of nine anti-abortion extremists named in a recent DOJ indictment for a 2020 clinic invasion. Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, stands behind them.
“These invasions are designed to intimidate and terrorize patients and providers,” said duVergne Gaines, director of the Feminist Majority Foundation’s National Clinic Access Project. “This criminal indictment is hopefully a turning point and will send a clear message that these extremists can no longer operate with impunity. We hope there will be many more prosecutions forthcoming.”
These invasions are designed to intimidate and terrorize patients and providers. This criminal indictment is hopefully a turning point and will send a clear message that these extremists can no longer operate with impunity.Days before the October 2020 invasion at the heart of the indictment, Handy called the Washington Surgi-Clinic pretending to be a woman named “Hazel Jenkins” seeking reproductive healthcare, and scheduled an appointment for the morning of Oct. 22.