Federal prosecutors in New York have charged two Tennessee women for blocking a Manhattan abortion clinic in 2020.
The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York charged Bevelyn Williams, 31, and Edmee Chavannes, 41, with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act stemming from incidents that spanned two days in June 2020.
Ms. Williams also is charged with violating the FACE Act through force resulting in bodily harm, and Ms. Chavannes is charged with violating the FACE Act through threats of force.
Federal prosecutors said both women prevented patients and staffers from entering a Lower Manhattan abortion clinic on June 19 and 20, 2020.
Ms. Williams is accused of pressing her body against the clinic’s door. When a clinic staffer attempted to open the door for a patient, she continued to lean against the door and crushed the staffer’s hand, prosecutors said.
Ms. Chavannes is accused of getting in the face of a clinic staffer and yelling “Do not touch me.”
In charging documents, prosecutors cited a livestream from June 19 in which Ms. Williams said, “We are going to terrorize this place.” The following day she said, “We’re standing here, so I guess no women will be coming in for abortions today. It’s a war zone.”
The attorney’s office claims the women have carried out similar FACE violations in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Brooklyn, New York, as recently as this year.
If convicted, the women face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the FACE Act violations. Ms. Williams faces the possibility of an additional 10 years in prison for using force in the process of her violation, while Ms. Chavannes could face an additional year if convicted of using threats.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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