Doors broken, graffiti left behind at pregnancy resource center in St. Paul

Mara H. Gottfried, Pioneer Press
·1 min read
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The director of a St. Paul pregnancy resource center found the building vandalized Monday, following earlier instances of graffiti at another center in St. Paul and to the building of a statewide group that opposes abortion.

Glass doors to Abria Pregnancy Resources were broken, possibly with a rock, and red graffiti was spray painted on the building in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood. It said, “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you.”

The damage happened about 2:30 a.m. Monday, based on video surveillance, when no one was inside, said Angela Franey, Abria Pregnancy Resources executive director.

“I’m sad over the misunderstanding, people not understanding what we do,” Franey said.

Abria Pregnancy Resources is not a political organization, and its centers in St. Paul and Minneapolis “provide a positive alternative to abortion,” Franey said. She said they have a medical staff and provide pregnancy testing and ultrasounds, along with prenatal and parenting education, diapers, formula and baby clothes.

The St. Paul center at University Avenue and Vandalia Street is being repaired, with plans to reopen Tuesday. They have safety precautions in place, Franey said.

No one was under arrest as of Monday afternoon.

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, opening the door to abortion bans in many states. Abortion remains legal in Minnesota.

At the beginning of July, graffiti was found painted on Birthright St. Paul, a pregnancy center at Snelling and Carroll avenues. Police said they weren’t able to identify a suspect.

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life reported its office in Minneapolis was vandalized in mid-June, including graffiti and some broken windows.

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