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Additional reporting by Katelyn Caralle
The federal government is preparing for a surge in political violence when the Supreme Court officially rules in June on the abortion case that’s expected to overturn Roe v. Wade.
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence memo from May 13 that was obtained by Axios says it expects threats that were levied against Supreme Court Justices, clerks, lawmakers, clergy and health care providers are expected to increase in coming weeks.
The thread, according to the declassified memo, ‘are likely to persist and may increase leading up to and following the issuing of the Court’s official ruling.’
‘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 states.
It also warns against extreme acts from pro-abortion and pro-choice groups and individuals.
The federal government is bracing for surges in political violence once the Supreme Court hands down its ruling next month that is expected to overturn Roe v. Wade. Pictured: Anti-abortion activists rally outside the Supreme Court Building on Tuesday, May 17
Law enforcement agencies are investigating threats to burn down or storm the Supreme Court building as well as murder Justices and their clerks. Places of worship and abortion clinics are also facing threats. Pictured: Law enforcement stand watch at Chief Justice John Robert’s home in Chevy Chase, Maryland on May 7, 2022 as protestors gathered outside and chanted ‘Keep abortion safe and legal!’ and ‘Pro-life is a lie! You don’t care if people die!’
Pro- and anti-abortion individuals and groups clashes outside the Supreme Court on May 3, 2022 – and incidents of this are expected to increase and worsen once the ruling is issues in June
The memo, however, makes clear that political activism as well as ‘strong rhetoric’ and demonstrations are not inherently illegal.
‘The mere advocacy of political or social positions, political activism, use of strong rhetoric, or generalized philosophic embrace of violent tactics does not constitute domestic violent extremism or illegal activity and is constitutionally protected,’ it notes.
Law enforcement agencies are investigating social media threats that emerged in the wake of the Supreme Court leak earlier this month showing the conservative majority overturning Roe v. Wade.
Threats include burning down or storming the Supreme Court building as well as murdering justices and their clerks. There are also threats online about from pro-abortion proponents attacking places of worship and anti-abortion proponents targetting abortion clinics.
Workers brought in fencing and barricades the first week of May to erect around the Supreme Court building as protests became increasingly aggressive and violent
A leaked draft opinion from Justice Samuel Alito shows five of the six conservative justices on the Supreme Court are preparing to overturn landmark 1973 abortion case Roe v. Wade, which will kick the issue back to the states to govern
The landmark abortion ruling from 1973 made the procedure constitutionally protected, taking away rights of the states to entirely outlaw a woman’s ability to terminate her pregnancy.
Republicans argue that the decision should be given back to the states to decide how to govern abortions – while 13 states already have so-called ‘trigger laws’ that would immediately ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned come next month.
A DHS spokesperson told Axios of the memo and brace for increased threats that the department ‘is committed to protecting Americans’ freedom of speech and other civil rights and civil liberties, including the right to peacefully protest.’
‘DHS is also committed to working with our partners across every level of government and the private sector to share timely information and intelligence, prevent all forms of violence, and to support law enforcement efforts to keep our communities safe,’ they added.
Leftist Antifa extremists threw a Molotov cocktail into the office of a pro-life group in Madison, Wisconsin the weekend after the Supreme Court leak – discovered on Mother’s Day
Outside the building Antifa graffitied: ‘If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either’
Extremists have already started engaging in aggressive and violent acts with news of the leak – leading to erection of a tall, unscalable fence around the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. earlier this month.
Pro-choice protesters convened outside the Supreme Court immediately after news of the leaked decision broke. Demonstrations became increasingly violent as pro-life activists also decended on the court.
The fence was put up for the protection of Supreme Court Justices, their staff and the building.
Furious pro-abortion demonstrators arrived outside the homes of Chief Justice John Roberts and fellow conservative Brett Kavanaugh on Saturday – less than a week after the leak.
Also the weekend after the leaked document circulated, protesters appeared outside churches.
Antifa vandals hurled at least one Molotov cocktail into offices of Wisconsin Family Action in Madison, an anti-abortion group in the state.
The far-left extremist group also scrawled a chilling message on the wall that read, ‘If abortions aren’t safe you aren’t either,’ as well as the Antifa Symbol – a capital ‘A’ inside a circle – and the number 1312, which is a code that stands for ACAB, meaning ‘All Cps are Bastards.’
After the group ‘Ruth Sent Us’ doxxed the D.C.-area address of Supreme Court Justices, protesters showed up outside the homes of conservative Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh (pictured on Sunday, May 7) and Chief Justice John Roberts
An officer with a megaphone outside the home of Kavanaugh in Chevy Chase, Maryland on Saturday tells pro-abortion demonstrators to steer clear of the front of the justice’s home during protests
The damage was discovered on Mother’s Day when a passerby called police and reported seeing smoke coming from the headquarters of the pro-life group. The organization lobbies against legalized abortion and gay marriage, according to their website.
Multiple government and private sector agencies are communicating and coordinating to mobilize ahead of potential increases in civil unrest following the official ruling.
The leak showed a draft opinion written by conservative Justice Samuel Alito with four other justices on board with a complete overturn of Roe v. Wade, which would kick the abortion issue back to the individual states.
Chief Justice Roberts, a conservative, did not sign on with the opinion for a full overturn, although he does support a 15-week ban.
The issue of abortion was brought back before the Supreme Court as Mississippi case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was escalated as the state tried to ban abortion at the 15-week point of a pregnancy.
But now, if the landmark case is overturned with the 6-3 conservative majority, many red-state governors have already said they would completely outlaw abortion.
Even if Justice Roberts does dissent from his conservative colleagues, they still have the numbers to overturn the ruling.
The issue of violence over the ruling is also raising eyebrows at the state level.
A Nevada counterterrorism agency memo indicated worries about the safety of election workers in the 2022 midterm elections in the fallout from the decision.
A Virginia fusion center document flagged potential for the doxxing of people’s personal information as well as cyber attacks on abortion centers. They even warned against violence from extremists unrelated to the abortion issue at hand.
Before the Supreme Court leak, the Biden administration was focusing on combating domestic violence.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called domestic violence one of the greatest terrorism threats facing the U.S.
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