Planned Parenthood of Illinois denounces attacks against abortion clinics

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Leaders from Planned Parenthood Illinois Action are speaking out against attacks on abortion clinics across the state.

While Illinois has become a haven for abortion in the United States, PPIA President and CEO Jennifer Welch said Thursday that she believes it is still dangerous for Planned Parenthood to operate in the state.

Welch said abortion providers will not give in to extremists following the fire caused by arsonist at a Peoria abortion clinic in January and the recent attack on a future clinic in Danville.

"We are concerned together with protecting the folks who are coming in for care, and in some ways we have to respond to the next wave of damage that the extremists do," Welch said.

73-year-old Philip Buyno was arrested and charged with terrorist threat, burglary, conspiracy to commit arson, attempted arson, and criminal damage to property exceeding $10,000.

Danville police said the Prophetstown native intentionally drove a vehicle with flammable material into the building. According to an affidavit, Buyno brought several containers filled with gasoline with him.

Buyno also faces a federal charge for crossing state lines in an attempt to damage the building by setting it on fire.

The site was purchased by the McGhee Investment Group associated with the Indianapolis Clinic for Women.

Danville abortion clinic — Prophetstown, Illinois, man, Philip J. Buyno, 73, pleaded guilty on September 19, 2023, to attempting to use fire to damage a building set to become an abortion clinic.

A recent report from the National Abortion Federation shows that stalking of abortion clinics rose 229% last year. The NAF also reported that arson cases increased by 100% during 2022.

"Right now, we keep doing everything we can in Illinois until opposition creates a new tactic to harass or terrify our patients," Welch said.

Welch joined Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Democratic lawmakers Thursday to celebrate passage of a bill ensuring police can't use data from license plate scanners to track people traveling into Illinois for reproductive healthcare.

Sponsors said some Republican-led states have used automatic license plate readers as a tool to "hunt down" people seeking abortion and other reproductive healthcare. Their bill would prohibit the sharing of data or allowing law enforcement to use this information to criminalize anyone coming into or out of Illinois for healthcare services.