CNN warns of 'far right' violence after Roe v. Wade leak

CNN reported on Friday that the leak of the Supreme Court draft opinion indicating the court will soon overturn its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision could lead to right-wing political violence.

Despite left-wing groups calling for protests at the home addresses of Supreme Court justices and a pro-choice protest in Los Angeles turning violent this week, CNN's "New Day" reported that police are "bracing for potential violence" as "far-right groups" are planning demonstrations in the coming days and weeks.

"CNN has learned that the U.S. Capitol police are bracing for large demonstrations that are being organized by far-right groups to protest abortion rights," guest host Alex Marquardt said Friday, before turning to law enforcement correspondent Whitney Wild, broadcasting live from the U.S. Supreme Court building.

The recently installed non-scalable fencing outside the court building was visible as Wild reported that "several members of law enforcement" have expressed concerns that "people who are committed to committing acts of violent extremism could use the Roe v. Wade opinion as justification for that."

"And that could include the possibility that someone would commit an act of violence against abortion providers, against the clinics, against members of the judiciary, members of the federal government, and that also includes members of the Supreme Court,” Wild said.

“I should caution, though, there are no specific credible threats. However, social media chatter is being taken much more seriously in the wake of January 6,” she added.

Eight-foot fencing was put up on the south side of the Supreme Court building Wednesday night after pro-choice and pro-life protesters gathered following a bombshell report from Politico that a court majority has voted to overturn Roe. A leaked draft court majority opinion for the case concerning Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban suggests the court will overturn its precedent on abortion rights, returning the issue to state legislatures and the people's elected representatives.

The report was met with shock and outrage from the progressive left, with various pro-choice pundits calling to "burn" the Supreme Court and the country down. Pro-life conservatives were also upset, not with the reported decision but rather that someone at the court had egregiously violated ethical and institutional norms by breaking the confidence of the justices.

So far, the only acts of violence or illegal activity occurring in the wake of Politico's report are by pro-choice protesters. A Catholic church in Boulder, Colorado was vandalized with anti-religious and pro-choice graffiti on Wednesday, and police are investigating the matter. In Los Angeles, at least one police officer was injured after abortion rights protesters began flinging objects at officers called to disperse the crowd, which was disrupting traffic.

A pro-choice group called Ruth Sent Us on Thursday posted what it claims are the home addresses of the six Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices, calling for an organized "walk-by protest" outside their homes next week.

Asked about the vandalism and planned protests during Thursday's White House press briefing, outgoing press secretary Jen Psaki said the White House does not condone vandalism and does not consider peaceful protesters to be "extreme."

(h/t: NewsBusters)