The U.S. government is bracing for a potential surge in political violence once the Supreme Court hands down the ruling that’s expected to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a Department of Homeland Security memo obtained by Axios.
Law enforcement agencies are investigating social-media threats to burn down or storm the Supreme Court building and murder justices and their clerks, as well as attacks targeting places of worship and abortion clinics.
The unclassified May 13 memo by DHS’ intelligence arm says threats that followed the leak of a draft opinion — targeting Supreme Court Justices, lawmakers, and other public officials, as well as clergy and health care providers — “are likely to persist and may increase leading up to and following the issuing of the Court’s official ruling.”
Abortion-related violence historically has been driven by anti-abortion extremists. “Some racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists’ embrace of pro-life narratives may be linked to the perception of wanting to ‘save white children’ and ‘fight white genocide,'” the memo also says.
The revelation immediately sparked outrage among Democrats and pro-abortion activists, who organized protests outside the Supreme Court building as well as at the homes of all six conservative justices. Pro-abortion demonstrations have also been held at churches across the country, while the headquarters of an anti-abortion group in Wisconsin was set on fire and vandalized.
While the White House has declined to call off the protests outside the justices’ homes — arguing that the demonstrations there have remained peaceful — the Biden administration quietly condemned the Wisconsin attack last week according to the NYP.
“President Biden strongly condemns this attack and political violence of any stripe,” an anonymous White House official told The Hill at the time. “The president has made clear throughout his time in public life that Americans have the fundamental right to express themselves under the Constitution, whatever their point of view.
“But that expression must be peaceful and free of violence, vandalism, or attempts to intimidate.” The DHS memo reportedly indicated that the violence and threats could come from either pro-choice or anti-abortion extremists.
