Expert: Jane’s Revenge violence against pro-lifers should be ‘viewed through the lens of terrorism’

Violent acts claimed by Jane’s Revenge and other pro-abortion extremists — including at least four arsons aimed at pro-life centers — should be “viewed through the lens of terrorism,” says Kyle Shideler, Director and Senior Analyst for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy.

Shideler questions whether the federal government is taking the threats seriously enough — or whether they view violent groups like Jane’s Revenge as ‘lone wolves’ for local law enforcement to handle. [Update, 6/27/22: Jane’s Revenge’s latest communique threatens to hunt pro-lifers down in their homes. “So far its just been pregnancy crisis centers, but tomorrow it might be your cars, your homes, or even your lives,” the group threatened.]

Jane’s Revenge has already claimed responsibility for the arson and violence at some pro-life centers across the country. The group is named after the “Jane Collective,” an underground group out of Chicago, Illinois, from the 1960s which provided or referred for illegal abortions. It is not clear whether this is one group, multiple groups, or individuals using the same insignia. What we do know is that “Jane’s Revenge” tends to speak through intermediaries — mostly anarchists groups so far — to promote their messages.

Defining terrorism

In an interview with “EWTN World Over,” Shideler explained that terrorism has two purposes. “One, to intimidate an arm of the government — that is to say, the Supreme Court — and prevent it from making a rule on the Dobbs case that would be seen as favorable to the pro-life position,” Shideler said. “And then, two, to intimidate the public, members of the pro-life movement. And, to disrupt their ability to organize at the state and local level.”

“So, these attackers are making the statement that they will escalate violence if the government does not do what they wish. And that is terrorism by definition,” he emphasized.

Is the federal government hesitant to see pro-abortion violence as domestic terrorism?

In May, Wisconsin Family Action became the first victim of an arson attack by Jane’s Revenge, who took credit for firebombing the facility. Last month, a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the offices of Oregon Right to Life. On June 6, perpetrators spray painted the message “Jane was here” when they firebombed CompassCare Pregnancy Services in Buffalo, New York. Then, on June 11, a pro-life pregnancy center in the area of Gresham, Oregon, was also firebombed but no messages were left behind.

The words “Jane’s Revenge” have been tagged by the group or its copycats in various states. Multiple supporters of the anonymous group have parroted the threats, with some posting on Twitter a daily countdown to the group’s June 10 deadline to escalate its attacks.

Shideler described Jane’s Revenge as a “pro-abortion militant anarchist group” but went on to say that “the way anarchists are organized they organize in local cells.” He claimed that these groups probably “voluntarily identified themselves as Jane’s Revenge,” going on to say that “It is unlikely there is a hierarchy or that they receive orders, although they may communicate from cell to cell.” He also said that one of the problems in responding is that the federal government “does not treat anarchist’s organizations as genuine criminal conspiracies. They treat them as a bunch of loony individuals operating separately.”

But, Shideler claimed, “Although they [Jane’s Revenge] are cellular in structure, they are very organized. They need to be treated as an organization.” The concern, he said, is that these groups will elevate from attacks on structures to attacks and violence on individuals.

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security issued a new alert warning of potential violence but failed to mention specific terroristic threats published by Jane’s Revenge, whose June 10 deadline to escalate violence against pro-life groups just passed.

Arson suspected at Amherst pregnancy clinic

Threats or claims attributed to Jane’s Revenge

May 8, 2022: Wisconsin Family Action was the first victim of an arson attack, with Jane’s Revenge later taking credit. According to a police report, the homemade devices “did not ignite.” However, the vandals lit a fire on the property and spray painted a warning on the outside of the building: “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either.”

May 10, 2022: The “first communique” from Jane’s Revenge was published by Bellingcat’s Robert Evans and vowed to “adopt increasingly extreme tactics to maintain freedom over our own bodies” while demanding the “disbanding of all anti-choice establishments, fake clinics, and violent anti-choice groups within the next thirty days.” The group claimed that if their demands are not met, they will be “forced to adopt the minimum military requirement for a political struggle.” They also used phrases like “forced into servitude” often used or paraphrased by radical groups associated with Stop Patriarchy and RiseUp4AbortionRights.

Jane’s Revenge also took responsibility for the May 8 act of terrorism against the Wisconsin Family Action office. According to a report by WMTV,  Jane’s Revenge threatened “increasingly violent attacks that extend beyond the Wisconsin capital if its demands are not met, writing, ‘Wisconsin is the first flashpoint, but we are all over the US, and we will issue no further warnings.’”

Group takes credit for arson at anti-abortion office, Madison police investigating claim

May 15, 2022: Vandals attacked Alpha Pregnancy Center in Reisterstown, Maryland, and tagged the facility with the threatening messages, “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you” and “Jane’s Revenge.”

May 22, 2022: Vandalism of four churches in Olympia, Washington, was credited to Jane’s Revenge, and reported on the Puget Sound Anarchist website.

”Last night we vandalized four anti-abortion churches in Olympia. All of these churches have ties to anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy centers,” the blog post began. It continued, “A Mormon church, Calvary church, Harbor Church, and St. Michael’s Catholic church all received facelifts in the early hours of Sunday morning. We dumped red paint over the entryways and left messages of ‘If abortions aren’t safe then neither are you,’ ‘Abort the church,’ and ‘God loves abortion.’”

The message lists supporters of the PRCs in what can only be considered a warning to those who would support helping women who choose not to seek abortions. It ends by admitting they are “threatening” anyone who opposes abortion. “We are not appealing to state power for an end to patriarchal violence, but threatening,” they said. It was signed, “For joy, pleasure, and self-determination, Jane’s Revenge Bo Brown Memorial Cell.” Live Action News has confirmed that the pro-abortion vandalism did occur at the Calvary church.

May 25, 2022: Next Step Pregnancy Center in Lynnwood was vandalized with the threat, “If abortion isn’t safe, you aren’t either” — verbiage from Jane’s Revenge communiques.

May 27, 2022: Twitter handle @rubyfire77 posted images of pro-abortion graffiti messages spray painted on the Dove Medical Clinic in Eugene, Oregon. The center was vandalized and spray painted with the “A” anarchy symbol, along with the phrases “Abortion is Healthcare” and “Not a Clinic” and was signed “from Jane.”

May 28, 2022: The Respect Life Office in Hollywood, Florida, was vandalized and tagged “Janes Revenge” along with the threat, “If abortions aren’t safe then neither are you.”

May 31, 2022: Jane’s Revenge allegedly issued a second communique instructing its followers to carry out a “Night of Rage” once the Supreme Court releases the Dobbs opinion, downloaded by an anarchist website. According to the communique, the overturning of Roe “is an event that should inspire rage.” They again cite the threatening message, “If abortion isn’t safe, you aren’t either. We are everywhere.”

The threatening message also read in part:

Consider this your call to action.

On the night the final ruling is issued — a specific date we cannot yet predict, but we know is arriving imminently — we are asking for courageous hearts to come out after dark.

Whoever you are and wherever you are, we are asking for you to do what you can to make your anger known.

We have selected a time of 8pm for actions nationwide to begin, but know that this is a general guideline. There may be other considerations involved in planning time and place. We do not claim to speak for every community or crew. We are simply calling out to you. And we hope you answer our cries.

To the cis male allies who would be interested in joining us in the streets, we say: you are certainly welcome, but you must use your privilege to shield and support us in a way that also enables us to get angry. Do not police us. Do not tell us what is and isn’t appropriate. But do aid us when we are in need.

The Jane’s Revenge message then tells followers not to “wait until the verdict arrives” but to “Take action now.”

In response, posters supporting Jane’s Revenge have been plastered around D.C., according to the DC Antifascist Action twitter page. They read, “DC call to action Night of Rage. The night SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade hit the streets. You said you’d riot ‘To our oppressors: if abortions aren’t safe, you’re not either.’ Jane’s Revenge.” It also includes the hashtag #DefundKaren.

June 2, 2022: A communique published by the Twitter handle @dsmstreetmedics allegedly from Jane’s Revenge claimed the group vandalized the Agape Pregnancy Center in Iowa.

June 3, 2022: Capitol Hill Crisis Pregnancy Center was vandalized and the words “Jane says revenge” were spray painted on the building. In addition, DC Antifascists Action published images on Twitter of a threatening message found on an overpass in D.C., signed “Jane’s Revenge.” It also read, “If abortions aren’t safe, then you’re not either, Jane’s Revenge.”

DC pregnancy center vandalized in Capitol Hill amid Roe v. Wade debate across the country | FOX 5 DC

June 6, 2022: CompassCare Pregnancy Services in Buffalo, NY, was firebombed, tagged with the message “Jane was here.” Also, Mountain Area Pregnancy Services in Asheville, N.C., was vandalized with the threatening message, “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you!”

June 8, 2022: Options360 Women’s Clinic in Vancouver, Washington, was vandalized and spray painted with the infamous “Jane’s Revenge” insignia.

June 14, 2022: Another alleged Jane’s Revenge communique was published by Abolitionist Media Blog, which claims to be an “online news source for revolutionary movements” which “intends to be a tool for movements dedicated to anarchist, abolitionist, and revolutionary perspectives.” This communique urged the group’s allies to “paint, to burn, to cut” in favor of abortion rights. They also suggest their followers should “manifest the things you wish to see.” The terrorist group, which claimed to be “versatile and mercurial” essentially took credit for multiple violent acts of hate, including arson, fire bombing, and vandalism of pro-life centers where, in a sick and twisted way, they described the attacks as “easy and fun” where they “find joy, courage.” The communique, issued days after the June 10th deadline demanding pro-life groups disband, also vowed to “never stop, back down, slow down, or retreat” while threatening to “take increasingly drastic measures against oppressive infrastructures” which “may not come in the form of something so easily cleaned up as fire and graffiti.” Read more at Live Action News here.

June 16, 2022: Abolitionist Media Blog published another communique, allegedly from Jane’s Revenge, taking credit for the June 14 vandalism of the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) office. Images were already published by MCCL in a tweet and they match the first image shown on the Blog. The communique, allegedly received by email, was signed by “Jane from the block.” The post continues to falsely refer to PRCs as “Fake clinics,” a phrase often used by the abortion rights group NARAL and others.

The message reads:

The “Minnesota Citizens Concerned For Life” or MCCL is the largest anti-abortion organization in so-called Minnesota and responsible for untold amounts of suffering as a result of their anti-science propaganda campaigns, ghoulish legislative attempts at social control and support for hateful bigoted politicians. So, in a small gesture of defiance and joy, we decided to smash all their windows and leave them a message from our friend Jane.

According to MCCL, that message read, “Abortion is Liberation.”

The Jane post continued:

Their offices and infrastructure deserve the same fate if not worse than that of the dozens of fake pregnancy clinics in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area that carry out the vision of MCCL toward a hellscape in which pumping out the ‘domestic supply of infants’ is the only thing people with a uterus are good for. F*ck them – the time of us reluctantly permitting their hatred for actual living people is over. We should’ve done more. Just because the task at hand is an urgent one, does not mean it cannot be met with glee. If we are continuously repressed, murdered, left to starve or to the hands of right-wing militias, there’s no reason why we can’t dance while we destroy. Turn our scream into a song and laugh in the face of an empire as it burns. -Jane from the block

June 19, 2022: A message from abortion extremists allegedly emailed to the anarchist blog Abolition Media has claimed credit for the attack of two pro-life pregnancy centers in the Detroit area. The image allegedly taken June 19, the night of the attack, shows documentation of only the Lennon Pregnancy Center in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, spray painted with message, “If abortions isn’t safe, neither are you!” The post, “Fake Clinic Attacked in Detroit” relayed a message emailed to the blog by the perpetrators which read, “On the night of 6/19 a gang of criminal queers smashed the windows of two fake abortion clinics in the greater Detroit area leaving the messages ‘if abortion isn’t safe, neither are you’ and ‘fake clinic.’ Jane will have her revenge.”

Also on June 19, the Pregnancy Care Center in Redford, Michigan, was vandalized on 6/19/2022, with windows broken. It was also spray painted with the message “This is a Fake Clinic,” and was signed, “Jane.”

June 22, 2022: Jackson Right to Life’s office and Congressman Tim Walberg’s office were among two additional pro-life offices targeted in Michigan by pro-abortion zealots who appear to be following orders from domestic terrorist group Jane’s Revenge. Both offices share a building where vandals smashed the windows and the glass in the front door. In addition, they tagged the Jackson RTL sign with “Jane’s Revenge” and in an apparent error also tagged a home two doors down from the pro-life building with a threatening message that read, “If abortion isn’t safe niether [sic] RU!”

June 25, 2022: The morning of June 25, a day after the Supreme Court issued its ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a message posted to the Jane’s Revenge blog read, “And for the allies of ours who doubt the authenticity of the communiqués and actions: there is a way you can get irrefutable proof that these actions are real. Go do one of your own. You are already one of us. Everyone with the urge to paint, to burn, to cut, to jam: now is the time. Go forth and manifest the things you wish to see. Stay safe, and practice your cursive. —Jane’s Revenge.”  It appears to be a shortened version from a previous message.

Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center (BRPC) in Lynchburg, Virginia was vandalized on 6/25. The pro-life center posted images of the crime to their Instagram and Facebook pages. The images (seen below) showed the spray painted threat typical of Jane’s Revenge, which read, “If Abortion Aint Safe You Aint Safe!” In a separate part of the building, the graffiti was signed Jane’s Revenge with an anarchist ‘A’ symbol. The pro-life organization’s sign was also tagged with the anarchist ‘A.’

On Facebook BRPC wrote,  “PLEASE PRAY! Urgent call for help, BRPC has been vandalized greatly and we need the support of our community now more than ever. If you are available to give financial support for additional security, and lots of prayers, we would greatly appreciate you. We know God has His hand over our center and the work at BRPC is not finished.”

A list of pro-abortion violence by state can be found at Live Action News here. More on Jane’s Revenge, including threatening statements they plan to target pro-lifers and others at their homes, at Live Action News here and here.

Editor’s Note, 6/27/22: This post has been updated and will continue to be updated as needed.

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