Feds Send Black Woman To Prison For Pro-Life Protest Outside Planned Parenthood

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Bevelyn Beatty Williams, a pro-life advocate and mother, is heading to prison in Alabama after losing her appeal case tied to a 2020 pro-life protest held outside a New York City Planned Parenthood. Prosecutors say the matriarch allegedly used force against patients seeking reproductive health during the demonstration, a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act).

On Oct. 15, Williams, who hails from Ooltewah, Tennessee, took to Facebook to announce that she had lost her appeal case and was assigned a self-surrender for her involvement in the June 19 and 20 protest held outside Planned Parenthood. According to a press release issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on July 24, prosecutors say she engaged in threatening behavior and used force against patients and staff at the reproductive health center located in lower Manhattan, obstructing their access. In one incident reportedly captured on video, Williams blocked the patient entrance of the facility by pressing her body against the door, preventing a volunteer from entering. As a staff member tried to open the door for the volunteer, Williams allegedly leaned against it intentionally, crushing the employee’s hand causing injury.

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“We put in a state of appeal, hoping that I could stay home on bail while I appeal my case. The judge denied it, and so a facility has been assigned to me. I’m turning myself into the FCI Aliceville facility in Alabama,” Williams said in her over 17-minute-long video posted Tuesday. “I will be turning myself in tomorrow there. So, in the meantime, the good news is we don’t have to deal with this judge anymore.”

U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon, issued the mother’s sentence back in July, finding her guilty on one count of violating the FACE act, which prohibits using physical force, threatening physical force, or physically obstructing someone with the intent to injure, intimidate, or interfere with any individual seeking an abortion. Williams claimed that the judge used “bias and emotion” to determine her sentencing instead of considering all of the evidence presented in the case. Notably, her conviction marks the second longest sentence given to a pro-life activist in a series of convictions that have occurred over the past year.

“I really wanted to think well of this judge. I really wanted to, even though she was so harsh with me at sentencing, and even though she treated me so badly. I really wanted to think well of this judge. I pray for her, and I’m still praying for her, but she represents every woman that just shouldn’t be in power,” Williams expressed in her lengthy video post.

Now, the 33-year-old mother must serve out a three-year sentence at FCI Aliceville, an Alabama-based low-level facility, for allegedly committing unlawful assembly, which occurs when four or more people convene for the purpose of engaging or preparing to engage in tumultuous and violent conduct likely to cause public alarm, according to the New York State Senate website. Meanwhile, her attorney plans to appeal the judge’s decision that denied her request to remain at home while her full appeal is reviewed by the appellate court. Williams hopes to return home within the next month to be with her family.

Williams’ husband called out President Biden and VP Kamala Harris on the decision.

Last Wednesday, the day Williams surrendered, her husband, Rickey Victory, criticized President Biden and Kamala Harris on X, claiming they made him “a single father.” He urged voters to withhold their support for the vice president.

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Who is Williams?

Williams is the co-founder of At Well Ministries, an organization dedicated to sharing the message of Jesus Christ wherever God guides them. Born in Staten Island, New York, she had her first abortion at 15 after dropping out of high school, according to her ministry website. She subsequently underwent two more abortions and struggled with a “self-destructive” lifestyle marked by drugs and alcohol.

After being arrested for money laundering, Williams experienced a profound conversion. Upon her release, she was determined to forge a new path. She co-founded At Well Ministries, which focuses on street ministry and outreach to the homeless, eventually shifting her focus toward pro-life activism.

According to the DOJ, beyond her actions in Manhattan, from at least 2019 to 2022, Williams has allegedly engaged in intimidation and interference against individuals seeking reproductive health services at clinics nationwide, including locations in Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, and Brooklyn, New York. 

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