Rep. Kelly shares clinic attack with White House, ready to involve FBI

Jun. 16—DANVILLE — Plans continue with a GoFundMe account for a women's health clinic at the former Dillman Eye Care Associates on Logan Avenue where the building was attacked by an anti-abortionist.

A letter also was sent Thursday by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly to Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. and Danville Police Chief Chris Yates on the planned clinic.

The letter reads, "Dear Mayor Williams and Police Chief Yates, On May 20, 2023, Danville Police responded to a disturbance at the site of Affirmative Care Solutions, a clinic that is being built to provide reproductive health services, including abortion care, to patients in the Danville area and Central Illinois.

Philip J. Buyno had intentionally driven into the building to cause damage and attempt to set the building on fire. A few weeks later, another act of vandalism was directed at the clinic, tearing down repairs from the first attack.

I am writing to inquire about any ongoing police investigations and actions taken in response to these attacks. Anti-abortion extremism and violence puts Danville residents in danger and intimidates patients from seeking reproductive healthcare. In January, the Illinois General Assembly passed into law protections for providers and patients who receive abortion care.

This legislation sent a clear message that Illinois is a safe haven for abortion access and reproductive rights. With few options for reproductive health care in the area, the City of Danville serves as a critical access point for women's healthcare in the region.

Affirmative Care Solutions will provide critical reproductive healthcare to women, and in many cases, life-saving care. Women rely on these clinics for all types of reproductive health services, including prenatal care, cancer screenings, and abortion care. It is important that this clinic is protected by those tasked with keeping our communities safe, so patients feel safe receiving care.

I trust that the City of Danville is working diligently to investigate these attacks and take the necessary action to ensure that a future attack does not occur. To the extent information can be shared, I request an update on the status of these investigations and a report on the steps the City of Danville and Danville Police Department are taking to ensure these attacks cease. I have shared information about these attacks with the White House and stand ready to request the Federal Bureau of Investigation's assistance in investigating these terrorizing attacks. I look forward to your prompt response."

According to Danville Police Deputy Chief Josh Webb, there was no report on file on the second vandalism incident.

Stated on the clinic's GoFundMe fundraising page titled "Help Stop Anti-Abortion Violence & Rebuild Clinic," which was started by Midwest Reproductive Freedom Fighter:

"Early morning May 20, a violent anti-abortion extremist tried to destroy a newly purchased building selected as the site for a new reproductive health clinic in Danville, Illinois. Ramming his car repeatedly into the building, he caused massive damage to the front lobby and the back. He was apprehended before he could finish the job and burn the structure down to the ground.

"Just two weeks later, there was another attack on the property. A vandal — possibly another extremist — tore down the temporary repairs to the back wall of the building and may have tried to get in the building.

"The clinic needs to hire security guards, rebuild destroyed walls and the lobby, and fortify and refurbish the entire structure. And they need our help to do it.

"The Danville property will be the sister clinic of Clinic for Women (C4W) of Indiana. And like C4W it will be one of the only abortion clinics in the United States owned and operated by women of color. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, the state of Indiana quickly moved to pass a ban on abortion. The Indiana Supreme Court is currently deciding if and when the ban will go into effect.

"The Danville clinic will bring access to abortion, family planning and other critical reproductive health care to Eastern Illinois while ensuring that Indiana residents and other states continue to have access to this vital care — even after devastating abortion bans go into effect.

"These violent attacks in Danville occurred after an out-of-state extremist whipped up local anti-abortion groups and engineered the passage of a local ordinance attempting to ban abortion. (Illinois state law guarantees access to abortion care.)

"Small, independent providers do not have the name recognition or resources to fall back on for funding like national organizations. But as an 'indie clinic' this facility is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of the Danville/Eastern Illinois/Western Indiana region with experienced and exceptional reproductive health care.

"At the time of this writing, the sister clinic in Indiana is still seeing patients, but we don't know how long this will last.

"Please give what you can — every dollar will help — and spread the word. Our goal is to raise the resources needed to rebuild this building and create a secure, comfortable and welcoming facility owned and led by women of color for all patients seeking reproductive health care in the region, especially those from Eastern Illinois, and Indiana.

"Thank you for your support.

"More about the new clinic: Black independent clinic owner LaDonna Prince and her team have operated the sister facility Clinic for Women in Indianapolis for over 25 years providing exceptional comprehensive reproductive health care in Indiana and surrounding states. They purchased the Danville property, a spacious and beautiful medical building with ample parking, earlier this year to open a new affiliated clinic, Affirmative Care Solutions, because it is located in an area accessible to both Eastern Illinois women who lack a provider as well as women from Western Indiana and surrounding states where cruel abortion bans are in place or will soon take effect."

The fundraising page also has photos posted of the building damage and video of Buyno backing his vehicle into the building.

The page was created on June 5 and has raised a little more than $15,000 of its $500,000 goal.

Phone calls by the Commercial-News to clinic representatives have not been returned.