New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against Red Rose Rescue, a self-proclaimed religious pro-life organization.

 

The suit aims to establish a buffer zone to prevent the group's members from getting within 30 feet of health care clinics in New York.

 

"They have pledged to continue to invade, intimidate, harass, interfere," said New York Attorney General Letitia James at a press conference on Long Island Thursday.

 

James accuses the group and its members of repeatedly trespassing into clinics, threatening workers and refusing to leave.

 

One of the incidents mentioned in the lawsuit happened at the All Women's Health and Medical Services clinic in White Plains on Nov. 28, 2021.

 

In that case, one of the members pretended to be a patient seeking an abortion and held the clinic's doors open for other members of the group inside before occupying the waiting room for hours.

 

"There is more violence today against health care providers, abortion health care providers than has ever been before," said Catherine Lederer-Plaskett, President of the Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion.

 

Three men affiliated with the group were sentenced to three months in jail in August 2022 for trespassing.

 

The two other incidents mentioned in the lawsuit happened at clinics on Long Island.

 

"These tactics are not just disruptive, they're psychologically destabilizing, and they're incredibly harmful," said Dipal Shah who is with Planned Parenthood of Greater New York.

 

James is also seeking civil penalties.

 

According to its website, Red Rose Rescue sends a team of pro-lifers into clinics where "the innocent unborn are about to be dragged to death" to "peacefully talk to women scheduled for abortion to persuade them to choose life."

 

Members offer the woman "red roses as a sign of life, peace, and love" and will not leave the premise but "must be taken away."

 

Red Rose Rescue has not yet responded to our request for a comment on the lawsuit at this time.