Terrisa Bukovinac, a member of Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, or PAAU, was protesting July 22 outside a Planned Parenthood clinic when a woman, angry over her pro-life views, allegedly threw coffee in her face. A man who was with the woman assaulted Mike Gribbin, a second pro-life activist who is unaffiliated with PAAU, according to a LifeNews.com article.
Recalling the incident, Bukovinac tells AFN police were called to the scene and she watched the Metropolitan Police officers find the attackers down the street and detain them for questioning.
“The police said that they believed that the incident was mutually agreed upon,” she recalls, “and refused to press any charges against the couple.”
The pro-life activists have video of the incident (warning: strong language), however, which shows the male suspect throw Gribbin to the ground and punch him repeatedly. The unidentified woman, who is seen attempting to slap Bukovinac, does not deny throwing coffee on her when the pro-lifer accuses her of it. An empty coffee cup is seen on the ground.
“You literally just slapped me in the face and you’re telling me to leave women alone?” Bukovinac says at one point during the confrontation.
It appears from the video the couple is a dog-walking husband and wife who were walking by the pro-life activists.
PAAU is an unusual pro-life organization since its members identify as political liberal, even Marxists, but take a public pro-life stance. Bukovinac, who founded the group, identifies as an atheist and repeatedly curses the attackers in the video as they walk away.
Bukovinac says the video went “viral” and then she was contacted by a police detective who came to her home and took a statement.
“And he assured me,” she says, “that there would be some accountability for this couple.”
