CV NEWS FEED // Pro-lifers celebrated after Planned Parenthood this week announced its plan to close its only clinic in Manhattan, which advocates like Bevelyn Beatty Williams and the Red Rose Rescue have protested outside of for years.
The Gothamist reported March 19 that Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) cited rising operational costs and insufficient Medicaid reimbursements as key factors in the closure.
Planned Parenthood has closed four other clinics in New York this year, the Gothamist adds.
In August 2024, the clinic stopped performing abortions after an unborn child reaches 20 weeks gestation, as CatholicVote previously reported.
Pro-life photojournalist Jeffrey Bruno, who has documented pro-life vigils and protests outside the clinic, called the announcement providential.
He wrote, “To those who’ve knelt on those sidewalks, who’ve poured out their hearts in prayer, it feels like something far more profound: a miracle — a moment when Heaven touched Earth, and the countless prayers of the faithful were answered.”
Groups like 40 Days for Life and Witness for Life have faithfully maintained a presence outside the Manhattan facility, Bruno wrote, offering Rosaries, sidewalk counseling, and a silent witness for the unborn.
He added that it was significant that the closure was announced on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, noting that the pro-life advocates who prayed outside of the clinic for years mirrored St. Joseph in their faithfulness, humility, and silent strength.
Williams, who co-founded At Well Ministries, is among the most notable figures to protest at the site.
Williams was arrested for her 2020 protest outside the Manhattan Planned Parenthood and sentenced to 41 months in prison in what many saw as an unjust prosecution under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, as CatholicVote previously reported.
President Donald Trump pardoned Williams and 22 other pro-life activists convicted for FACE Act violations in January.
On March 10, a judge blocked New York Attorney General Letitia James’ attempt to hold Red Rose Rescue in contempt of court for their peaceful advocacy outside the Manhattan clinic, as CatholicVote reported.