FACT CHECK: Was A Woman Arrested For Praying In Front Of An Abortion Clinic?
A video shared on Instagram claims a woman named Bevelyn Williams was arrested for praying in front of an abortion clinic.
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Verdict: False
Williams was arrested for physically obstructing access to the clinic, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
Fact Check:
A 66-year-old woman in Texas was charged for threatening to assault and murder a judge who had suspended approval of an abortion pill, according to Reuters. The incident took place in a Texas court in April 2023, and the woman is slated to be arraigned in Amarillo, Texas on Nov. 4, the outlet reported.
An Instagram post claims Williams was arrested for praying in front of an abortion clinic. The video shows an image of a woman with her hand on her chin and Vice President Kamala Harris as a woman makes the claim in a voice-over.
“Bevelyn Williams turned herself in to serve a 3.5 year Sentence in Federal Prison. Praying in front of an Abortion Mill as a form of Protest is her crime. Kamala Harris’ Administration’s Department of Justice is charging her with Unlawful Assembly,” the caption reads, in part.
The claim is inaccurate. A Department of Justice (DOJ) press release reports that Williams was sentenced to 41 months in prison for blocking patients and staff from accessing the clinic, a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
“Bevelyn Beatty Williams repeatedly intimidated and interfered with individuals seeking and providing critical reproductive health services. She did so by physically blocking access to clinics, threatening staff, and by force,” it reads, in part. The press release does not mention her praying. (RELATED: Walz Claims Trump Is ‘Asking For A Nationwide Abortion Ban’)
Williams, from Tennessee, organized a June 2020 protest at a Manhattan Planned Parenthood clinic in which she closed the door on the hand of a staff member, injuring her, according to AP News. “We are going to terrorize this place,” she had said during a livestream during the protest, the outlet reported.
Check Your Fact reached out to a DOJ spokesperson for comment.
