Government & You

Did you know that two anti-choice extremists set fire to a New Mexico reproductive-health center?

In 2009, anti-choice activists Chad Altman and Sergio Baca plead guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit arson for a 2007 attack against Southwest Women’s Options in Albuquerque, NM.  In Sergio Baca’s written plea agreement, he confessed that the two set fire to the clinic in order to prevent his former girlfriend from receiving abortion care.  In 2009, both activists received a prison sentence and were ordered to pay restitution of $796,531.92.

In addition to the above incident, only 20 days later, unknown anti-choice activists set fire to and broke into two Planned Parenthood clinics in Albuquerque.  Such violent incidents serve as a reminder that the effort to end clinic violence is far from over. 

Nationwide, the National Abortion Federation reports that there have been at least 175 arson cases since 1977 and 96 attempted arsons and bombings direct at reproductive-health centers.

Press Release, Department of Justice, News Advisory: Arson Sentencing, (Jun. 10, 2009); Maggie Shepard, Two Men Arrested in Abortion Clinic Arson, Albuquerque Tribune, Dec. 8, 2007; NAF, NAF Violence and Disruption Statistics: Incidents of Violence & Disruption Against Abortion Providers in the U.S. & Canada (Apr. 30, 2009).