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Pro-Life Activists Rally in Philadelphia after Rep. Brian Sims Harasses Teens and Elderly Woman Praying Outside of Planned Parenthood

  • Kayla Koslosky

    Kayla Koslosky has been the Editor of ChristianHeadlines.com since 2018. She has B.A. degrees in English and History and previously wrote for and was the managing editor of the Yellow Jacket …

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  • Updated May 10, 2019

Major pro-life activists gathered together outside of a Philadelphia abortion clinic Friday morning after videos went viral of Pennsylvania state representative Brian Sims harassing pro-life teenagers and women praying outside of a Planned Parenthood.

CBN News reports that the rally – which was put together by pro-life activists Abby Johnson, Graham Allen, Lila Rose and Matt Walsh – welcomed hundreds of protesters to the sidewalk of the Planned Parenthood seen in the videos.

Lila Rose – the founder and CEO of pro-life organization Live Action – opened the rally by calling for the protection of human lives and the resignation of Representative Sims. 

She said, “We are here because we love life. Because we believe in the dignity and the right to live for every human being. Because we love and we respect every human life. And because the pro-life community will not back down to any harassment or bullying or hate.”

She continued, “We will not back down. We will stand up, and we will stand up with love and we will stand up because we know that we believe in the beauty and dignity of every life.”

Rose went on to call for Sims' resignation noting that the behavior he demonstrated in the videos was unacceptable for anyone, let alone someone in an elected position.

She said, “As everybody here now knows, in just the last two weeks, outside of this very Planned Parenthood facility, an elected representative for the state house in Pennsylvania, Representative Brian Sims, filmed himself… harassing and berating, making sexist and racist comments against an elderly woman, against a mother… and her two daughters and their friend, and a young man.”

Rose also noted that Sims filmed himself offering a bounty of $100 to any of his followers who could identify the three teen girls who were praying outside of the Planned Parenthood.

“We are calling on state representative Brian Sims and all those who dare to harass and violate the first amendment rights of all the constituents here in Philadelphia to step down,” Rose declared. 

“This is behavior that is unbecoming for a state representative,” Rose added as the crowd began to chant “Resign now!”

As Christian Headlines previously reported, Sims has been under fire for the last several days after he posted a video harassing an elderly woman who was silently praying outside of a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood. 

An eight-minute video posted by Sims to his Twitter account shows the representative shouting at and following an elderly woman with a camera as she attempts to turn away from him.

The woman, seemingly Catholic, was holding rosary beads and praying in front of the abortion clinic.

In the video, Sims says to the audience before confronting her, “She is an old white lady.” He then followers her and says, “...How many children have you clothed today? I’m sorry, I missed your answer, how many children have you clothed today?”

The woman tried to keep her back to the camera, but Sims aggressively tracked her ensuring viewers would see her face.    

“How many children have you put shoes on their feet today?” he prodded. “Have you fed any children today or have you just stood out in front of a Planned Parenthood shaming people for doing something they have a constitutional right to do?” Sims said to the woman.

A second video surfaced of Sims engaging in similar antics with three teenage girls, a woman and a young man. In the subsequent video, Sims made racist and religiously discriminatory remarks towards teens and their mother before looking at his camera and offering a $100 bounty to anyone who could identify the teen girls.

The videos sparked outrage within both the pro-life and pro-choice communities as many people simply saw his behavior as aggressive and inappropriate.

Sims later issued an apology video, which many saw as a thinly veiled attempt to change the tide of the conversation away from his behavior.

Photo courtesy: Live Action