ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ7) A Roanoke confrontation caught on camera goes viral with thousands of Facebook reactions and shares. The video reportedly shows a protester hit while standing outside a Planned Parenthood clinic on Peters Creek Rd.
The group Students for Life of America says four of their volunteers were protesting outside the Roanoke clinic Saturday when they got into a confrontation.
The 24-second clip doesn't show how the incident started.
In the video, a woman walks up, protestors say a 15-year-old volunteer is hit and you see the girl take several steps back, spin, and fall out of frame.
Organizers say they teach their volunteers to record altercations.
"There really are attempts to shut down free-speech and peaceful conversations, so we certainly do encourage our students to tape -- partly for their protection -- when things happen," spokesperson Kristi Hamrick said.
Hamrick says the teenage protestor -- who is not being identified -- was treated for a minor concussion.
Planned Parenthood said the woman in the tape is not an employee and the confrontation happened off their property, adding this statement:
“Planned Parenthood adheres to a strict non-engagement policy in the presence of members of the opposition. Consistent with that policy, the person involved in the December 2nd incident was not a Planned Parenthood staff member. Oppositional protests are designed to intimidate the many patients who seek basic health care services from Planned Parenthood. The health and safety of our patients and staff is our top priority, and Planned Parenthood has strong security measures in place to ensure that our health centers are safe, supportive and welcoming environments for all people to get the high-quality health care they need.” - Paige Johnson, Vice President of External Affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic
Roanoke Police are looking into the incident and tell us a report was filed Sunday.
Planned Parenthood does have cameras at their clinic, but it's unclear if there's any video of the incident, other than what was shot by the protest group.
