65-Year-Old Pro-Life Protester Punched in Face While Praying at Planned Parenthood Clinic

A 65-year-old man was hospitalized on Monday after being viciously attacked while praying outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Florida.

According to the Naples Daily News, pro-life supporter Joe Alger was sitting outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic reciting the rosary when an unidentified man began to verbally assault him. According to Mary Claire Dant who witnessed the attack, “the attacker walked up to [Joe] and for several minutes he was verbally badgering him.”

Dant continued saying, “at some point, he kept screaming. All of sudden Joe is standing there – BOOM – he knocks him down onto the ground.”

She goes on to say that Alger was attempting to get up when the attacker started to strike him. Dant, who is also a peaceful pro-life protester, said she, too felt threatened by the situation.

According to The Christian Post, later that day a man fitting the attacker’s description was escorted from the clinic by a sheriff's deputy. 

Alger, however, decided not to press charges and his attacker was not arrested.

"It's a painful situation,” Alger, who was taken to a hospital, said.  

“And I'm not going to make it any worse," he added.

Reportedly, the Naples Planned Parenthood clinic has regular protests outside the clinic, prompting the facility to station volunteers outside of the building to escort patients in.

According to a volunteer at the clinic, the Sheriff's Office was initially called by the facility when Alger allegedly trespassed on the clinic's property. 

The Christian Post reports that a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office, Krista Williamson, confirmed that neither party decided to press charges and no arrests were made.

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Video courtesy: Naples Daily News