An unidentified man on Friday beat up two elderly pro-life activists in front of a North Baltimore Planned Parenthood clinic, sending one to the hospital.
Surveillance footage shows a man approaching a protester and "speaking in an aggressive manner," local ABC affiliate WMAR2 reported. The suspect then rushed at the protester, tackled him, and shoved a second protester to the ground.
"While the second protester is already down on his back, the suspect is seen punching him in the face with a closed fist," WMAR2 reported. The video also shows the suspect "kicking the victim in the face with what police described as 'extreme force.'"
Pro-life activist Jay Walton in a Facebook post identified the severely injured protester as Mark Crosby, writing that Crosby was "viciously attacked … while he was praying." The other protester was identified as Dick Shafer. Both Crosby and Shafer are over 70.
The news comes at a time of increasing violence against pro-life advocates. Federal prosecutors in January charged two far-left Antifa activists with vandalizing Florida pro-life pregnancy clinics, the Washington Free Beacon reported. This month, a professor threatened to attack New York Post reporters for attempting to interview her about her vandalism of a pro-life group's table.
Amid a wave of pro-abortion violence last year, the Free Beacon reported that at least two of President Joe Biden's Justice Department appointees had a history of inflammatory language against pro-life clinics. New York governor Kathy Hochul (D.), meanwhile, not only stayed silent on violence against pro-life organizations but also signed a law ordering the state to investigate them.
While Schafer is recovering at home, as of Saturday Crosby was still in the hospital for his injuries, LifeSiteNews reported. Pro-life activist John Roswell told LifeSiteNews that the assailant asked a Planned Parenthood employee "to hold his drink" before attacking Crosby and Shafer.
Police told local outlets that they are searching for the attacker.