© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Pro-abortion Antifa activists face lawsuit for attacks against crisis pregnancy centers in Florida
Composite screenshot of EWTN and 10 Tampa Bay YouTube videos (Featured: Caleb Freestone)

Pro-abortion Antifa activists face lawsuit for attacks against crisis pregnancy centers in Florida

Two pro-abortion activists associated with Antifa have been sued by the Florida attorney general in connection to vandalism at several crisis pregnancy centers in the state.

On Wednesday, Ashley Moody, the Republican attorney general of Florida, filed a civil lawsuit against Caleb Hunter Freestone, 27, and Amber Marie Smith-Stewart, 23. Last year, the couple, both members of Antifa and the radically pro-abortion group Jane's Revenge, allegedly attacked three Floridian crisis pregnancy centers: the South Broward Pregnancy Help Center in Hollywood, the LifeChoice crisis pregnancy center in Winter Haven, and the Heartbeat of Miami pregnancy center in Hialeah.

"Antifa and Jane’s Revenge are criminal organizations and must answer for their crimes in Florida," Moody said in a statement. "I am taking action to hold their members accountable for attempting to intimidate and threaten law-abiding citizens in our state."

In the weeks and months leading up to the Dobbs decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned Roe v. Wade, dozens of pro-life centers around the country were attacked by militant pro-abortion activists who were "spray painting their walls, breaking their windows, and even setting fire to their buildings," the lawsuit stated.

In January, a federal grand jury indicted Freestone and Smith-Stewart for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act by targeting "pregnancy resource facilities and vandaliz[ing] those facilities with spray-painted threats," the Department of Justice claimed. According to reports, the defendants spray-painted various threatening messages, including:

  • "If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you,"
  • "YOUR TIME IS UP!!,"
  • "Abortion 4 ALL," and
  • "WE’RE COMING for U."

With the defendants facing criminal prosecution at the federal level, Moody has moved to hold them civilly liable for the attacks as well. The lawsuit seeks $170,000 from both Freestone and Smith-Stewart and wants the court to prohibit them from going within 100 feet of any crisis pregnancy center in Florida in the future.

Attorney Kelly Shackelford, CEO and chief counsel of the First Liberty Institute, a Christian legal nonprofit that has filed its own lawsuit on behalf of the Heartbeat of Miami pregnancy center in Hialeah, praised Moody's leadership. "Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is leading the effort to protect all faith-based pregnancy care centers across the country," Shackelford said.
"The rule of law compels this lawsuit," Shackelford continued. "If you use violence as a means to advance your disagreement, you will be held accountable by the law."
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division. Freestone and Smith-Stewart face up to a dozen years in federal prison and a $350,000 fine if convicted in criminal court.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?