2023 Danville abortion clinic attack

On May 20, 2023, an under-construction abortion clinic in Danville, Illinois, was damaged in a vehicle ramming attack. The suspect was planning to set himself and the building on fire but was arrested before he could do so. Weeks later, during repairs, the clinic was vandalized again. The clinic continues to be a subject of controversy in the local area.

## Background

Following the reversal of *Roe v. Wade* in July 2022, numerous states began banning or placing restrictions on abortion. These include three states that border Illinois; Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Abortion remained legal in Illinois, and as a result, the state was dubbed an "abortion safe haven".  Pro-life activists staged demonstrations outside a number of abortion clinics within the state. In January 2023, a Planned Parenthood facility in Peoria was attacked by an arsonist, and is possibly the first post-*Roe* attack on an abortion clinic in Illinois.

In February 2022, it was announced that renovations for a new abortion clinic were underway at a former eye care office on North Logan Avenue in Danville, Illinois. According to the property owner, Danville was chosen because of its proximity to the border with Indiana, a state in which there is a higher likelihood of an abortion ban going into effect than in Illinois. Many local residents and politicians opposed the project. On May 3, an ordinance restricting the shipment of abortion supplies within the town was passed.

### Suspect

73-year-old Philip J. Buyno lived in Prophetstown, Illinois, about 160 miles (260 km) from Danville. In a police interview, he stated he was involved in the pro-life movement as far back as the 1980s. He had previously been arrested on three separate occasions in 2019 for trespassing on an abortion clinic in Peoria; coincidentally, it was the same clinic where the January 2023 attack occurred. When he heard that the North Logan Avenue building was being turned into an abortion clinic, he began making preparations to destroy the building.

## Vehicle ramming

On Saturday, May 20, 2023, at around 4:30 AM, Buyno arrived at the clinic in his 2013 Volkswagen Passat. In the vehicle were firewood, tires, and cans of gasoline which he would use to light the building on fire. Buyno first crashed into the back of the building. He then drove around to the other side and reversed the Passat into the building's front entrance. When police arrived, he was stuck inside the car. He was subsequently extricated from the vehicle and arrested.

### Aftermath

In an interrogation, Buyno claimed he was part of a pro-life "rescue group". Buyno was charged with terrorism, criminal damage, and attempted arson.

A GoFundMe campaign was organized to raise money for repairs, with a goal of $500,000. As of June 2023, only around $7,000 has been donated to the campaign.

### Later vandalism

Roughly two weeks after the vehicle ramming attack, an unknown individual tore down many of the repairs on the building. As a result, the property owner stated it may be necessary to hire security guards to monitor the building.

## Citations

1. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/us/abortion-laws-roe-v-wade.html
2. ↑ https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfield/illinois-is-one-of-the-last-safe-havens-for-abortion-in-the-midwest-what-now/Content?oid=16305665
3. ↑ https://www.ft.com/content/4575f936-e24c-43fd-b738-4ad45db91e81
4. ↑ https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/illinois-abortion-clinic-site-attacked-arson-1234741331/
5. ↑ https://news.stlpublicradio.org/law-order/2023-01-18/peoria-planned-parenthood-clinic-will-be-closed-for-months-after-sundays-arson-fire
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://illinoisnewsroom.org/danvilles-proposed-abortion-clinic-is-attacked-for-a-second-time/
7. ↑ https://newschannel20.com/news/local/danville-mayor-rickey-williams-breaks-tie-in-vote-to-bass-abortion-restricting-ordinance
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/prosecutors-man-drove-car-planned-illinois-abortion-clinic-99545749
9. ↑ https://illinoisprisontalk.org/index.php?abc=B&pg=1023
10. ↑ https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/weeks-man-plowed-illinois-abortion-213500418.html
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 https://www.kwqc.com/2023/05/24/prophetstown-man-accused-trying-burn-down-central-illinois-reproductive-health-clinic/
12. ↑ https://www.wcia.com/news/danville-future-abortion-clinic-vandalized-neighbors-fear-community-divide-is-widening/
13. ↑ https://www.gofundme.com/f/midwest-reproductive-freedom-fighter?utm\_campaign=p\_cp+share-sheet&utm\_medium=copy\_link\_all&utm\_source=customer