PEORIA, Ill. — With signs reading ‘Terrorism doesn’t play in Peoria,’ and messages about the next generation’s access to rights, dozens came out to Peoria’s Planned Parenthood Sunday to show their solidarity for the staff and nurses at the facility.
“These rights should be afforded to everybody. Reproductive healthcare should be something everybody has access to. It should be readily available and nobody else should be able to tell you what you can and can’t do with your body,” says Planned Parenthood DEI Specialist Kelley Theisen.
Earlier this month, local police say someone driving a white pickup truck was spotted on camera leaving the scene of an arson at the Planned Parenthood location after allegedly throwing a firebomb into the building. It happened two days after Gov. JB Pritzker signed a series of comprehensive reproductive health care bills into law to protect those traveling from out-of-state to get an abortion in Illinois.
“We have extremists in our midst and right here in Peoria who will stop at nothing to make their point.” State Senator David Koehler told 25News at the time of the incident.
No staff or patients were inside at the time and the clinic is now closed for a few months.
Theisen says, even though the attack put a pause on their services, they are determined to find the person responsible.
“After the person or people responsible are found, we do intend to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. We want to make it very clear that we are always going to keep fighting for reproductive health and access to the services that Planned Parenthood provides.”
Local authorities are now working alongside the FBI to solve this crime. There’s still no suspect at this time.
