Elderly pro-lifer assaulted while protesting in Arizona

Sep 21, 2009 / 16:04 pm

Pro-life activist Johnny Wallace, 69, was attacked on Friday by two women as he stood holding two signs in front of City Hall in Flagstaff, Arizona.  The women, both 48, yelled profanities at him, attempted to take his signs and wrestled him to the ground.

On the day of the attack, Wallace, who daily protests in front of City Hall, held two text-only signs. According to Operation Rescue, the signs said, “Abortion kills more black Americans in four days than the Klan killed in 150 years,” and the other, “Life begins at conception and ends at Planned Parenthood."

The two women who accosted Wallace were identified as Denise Redsteer and Laura Chapman.  According to Northern Arizona Today, Wallace was knocked to the ground as he attempted to protect his signs from one of the women. The other woman then joined in the struggle.

Wallace was treated for minor injuries after the incident by medics called to the scene.  Redsteer and Chapman were cited and released on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and criminal damage.

Operation Rescue President Troy Newman released a statement on Monday commenting that Wallace was only “exercising his God-given rights as an American citizen when he was brutally assaulted because his attackers disagreed with his beliefs."

“This attack is especially disturbing because the motivation for the attack on Mr. Wallace was the same motivation that caused Harlan Drake to murder Jim Pouillon," Newman added.

Newman said that he believes there is “an increasing attitude that it is okay to hurt pro-life people if one does not agree with them. This disturbing trend must stop.”

"We are thankful that Mr. Wallace was not hurt worse than he was, and pray that the violence against pro-life activists will come to an end," he stated.