CV NEWS FEED // Planned Parenthood this week announced its plan to close its only clinic in Manhattan. Pro-life advocates like Bevelyn Williams and the Red Rose Rescue have protested outside of the clinic for years, and the announcement prompted celebration among those fighting for life.
The Gothamist reported March 19 that Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY), announced the closure, citing rising operational costs and insufficient Medicaid reimbursements as key factors.
Planned Parenthood has closed four other clinics in New York this year, the Gothamist adds.
In August 2024, the clinic stopped performing abortions after an unborn child reaches 20 weeks gestation, as CatholicVote previously reported.
Pro-life photojournalist Jeffrey Bruno, who has documented pro-life vigils and protests outside the clinic, called the announcement providential.
He wrote, “To those who’ve knelt on those sidewalks, who’ve poured out their hearts in prayer, it feels like something far more profound: a miracle — a moment when Heaven touched Earth, and the countless prayers of the faithful were answered.”
Groups like 40 Days for Life and Witness for Life have faithfully maintained a presence outside the Manhattan facility, Bruno wrote, offering Rosaries, sidewalk counseling, and a silent witness for the unborn.
He added that it was significant that the closure was announced on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, noting that the pro-life advocates who prayed outside of the clinic for years mirrored St. Joseph in their faithfulness, humility, and silent strength.
Bevelyn Beatty Williams, a pro-life activist and co-founder of At Well Ministries, is among the most notable figures to protest at the site.
Williams was arrested for her 2020 protest outside the Manhattan Planned Parenthood and sentenced to 41 months in prison in what many saw as an unjust prosecution under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, as CatholicVote previously reported.
President Donald Trump pardoned Williams and 22 other pro-life activists convicted for FACE Act violations in January.
More recently, on March 10, a judge blocked New York Attorney General Letitia James’ attempt to hold Red Rose Rescue in contempt of court for their peaceful advocacy outside the Manhattan clinic.
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