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Sims Berates Planned Parenthood Protesters

State Rep. Brian Sims (D-Philadelphia) looks someone out to start a fight and he got one – at the national level.

He posted videos of himself this week berating a handful of protesters at a Planned Parenthood in his district, accusing them of shaming people who are going into the facility.

In an eight minute periscope video recorded by Sims last week, he yells “shame” as he approaches a woman outside the clinic. He argues about the legitimacy of her religious faith and criticizes her for protesting, calling her act “grotesque.”

“Who would’ve thought that an old white lady would be out in front of a Planned Parenthood telling people what’s right for their bodies,” Sims said. “Shame on you.”

Sims follows her movements while calling her a coward for not facing him. The woman is silent for the first four minutes of the video until she tells Sims to get the camera out of her face and telling him it is none of his business.

Protesters are a frequent presence outside abortion clinics in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Activities run the gamut from silent prayer, to protest signs, handing out pamphlets, to chants, jeers and more. In some cases protesters have escalated their presence to verbal and physical intimidation or harassment. In recent years, abortion rights supporters have sought to turn the tables by spotlighting individual protesters. The video does not show any protesters speaking to or approaching anyone but Sims.

Planned Parenthood distanced itself from Sims’ actions even as it thanked him for his support in general. Dayle Steinberg, President and CEO of PP Southeastern PA, said the organization has “a strict non-engagement policy with those protesting outside our health centers.”

“While we do not condone Representative Sims’ approach, our patients deserve to have access to health care without shame and stigma. Nobody should have to face shaming, judgment, harassment, or intimidation in order to get or provide health care,” she said.

“At Planned Parenthood, we work every day to ensure every patient receives the high-quality health care they need – including abortion services – in a safe, respectful environment. It’s important to know that in Pennsylvania, we’re facing several abortion ban bills that are being pushed by politicians who want to roll back the right to safe, legal abortion. We thank our champions – including Representative Sims – for their unwavering opposition to these bans.”

Sims appeared to back down in a video posted to Facebook Tuesday afternoon. He says he lives across the street from and is a patient at the clinic and has witnessed harassment there. But he conceded he violated the spirit of PP’s non-engagement policy and said “I will do better.” The video does not include an apology.

The video prompted outraged responses from many conservatives nationwide including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) quoting the tweet this morning calling on the Democratic Party to “condemn this abuse.”

Early Tuesday afternoon PAGOP Chair Val DiGiorgio said he is seeking a criminal investigation into Sims’ conduct in the two videos.

LiveAction, a pro-life group quoted the video on Twitter Sunday saying that Sims act was shameful.

Sims fired back at the group in a tweet saying, “Bring it, Bible Bullies! You are bigots, sexists, and misogynists and I see right through your fake morals and your broken values. #BeReal”

Sims also said protesting Planned Parenthood is a racist act and believes that white people need to stand up in calling out those who do protest it.

“Don’t convince yourself that what you’re doing isn’t extremely racist,” Sims tells the woman. “How dare you. This is grotesque.”

Sims also challenges the woman to call the cops in the video and prodded her for not protesting the Catholic Church for the clergy sex abuse scandal.

The caption of Sims 8 minute long tirade is “Push back against Planned Parenthood protestors, PLEASE! They prey on young women, they use white privilege, & shame. They’re racist, classist, bigots who NEED & DESERVE our righteous opposition. Push back, please! #YouAreStrongEnough”

In a separate video just over one minute long, Sims records himself approaching a woman and what appears to be three teenage girls outside of a Planned Parenthood building calling them “a bunch of pseudo Christian protesters” and calls on viewers to identify the individuals protesting and promises to reward $100 to anybody who identifies them.

“Here’s the deal, I’ve got $100 to anybody who will identify any of these three, I’m going to donate to Planned Parenthood,” Sims said.

The adult woman responded by saying the were “just praying for the babies” before they walked away from the video. As the three girls and woman walk away, Sims says their white, while one girl responded “I’m not white.”

He also confronts a guy who says his name is Rich from Lansdale asking why he thought it was appropriate for him to be present outside of the building.

“Rich, what makes you think it is your job to tell women what’s right for their bodies,” Sims said. “The truth is I’m not really asking, cause I don’t care. Shame on you.”

This story was updated with the comment made by Rep. Brian Sims in a Facebook video.

28 Responses

  1. Brian Sims posted his self-made video to get publicity to raise his national profile. The people who agree with him that clinic protesters should not be there think it was great. The people who do not agree that an ex-college football team captain should tower over some old “white” lady and threaten to dox her think he is a thug. Either way look at all the free state, local and national publicity he got. It was a very Trumponian media manipulation well-executed to raise his national profile and it worked.

  2. Bravo to your courage and leadership. We who believe in the rights of every woman to choose have been to wimpy in the face of these self-righteous hypocrites for too long. Thank you for you service, Representative Sims!

    1. Wow, seriously? The taxpayers of PA didn’t vote for that crap.. you are in the minority buddy. Here’s thought, take a look at a 16 week baby sonogram, (like YOUR kid), see your child’s face on the screen, (yes, you can.. they are a human being bub), and then we will have a conversation as to why those women were praying for the unborn. Until you have done that, you haven’t a leg, nor the common sense to stand on it. Once a hypocrite, always Steven, always..

      1. Steve Todd just informed you, inadvertantly, of course, why he cannot get elected to an office — any office — in Hershey.

    2. Not surprising Steven Todd thinks this acceptable behavior. And I’m pro-choice.

    3. This is such an inappropriate and offensive way to conduct yourself with someone you disagree with.

      Simms. You are an opportunist. I’m not a pro life or pro choice engager, but I am frightened by your behaviour. You embody the problems with our current state of politics. The ones who should represent us and set an example are the ones acting like petty short sighted disrespectful children.

      Grow up and do better.

    4. And the anonymous cowards come out of the woodwork to criticize those of us who speak truth with our faces shown. So typical. MAGA and shit.

  3. Bad look for a good guy. Just lost the high ground to Metcalfe. Can we package both of them for a joint exit?

  4. You can pro-choice to the further extent imaginable, and still see Brian Sims for the clown that he is. A quick look at his last few tweets says it all. You’ve got a few incoherent personal attacks on pro-life individuals. In between those word salads he’s tangling with Piers Morgan about his genitalia size. This is seriously the best the 182nd district has to offer? What an embarrassment.

  5. There is an Islamic Center in Philadelphia where they teach children to recite poems about beheading Israelis. Why doesn’t Bryan Sims go up there and confront them for their bigotry? I guess he’s only a tough guy when it comes to women and teenage girls.

    1. Maybe he doesn’t know about them. Maybe he will confront them. Hatred of any kind is wrong. I encourage you to message him the name of that center and explain.

  6. Leave it to Ted Cruz to arbitrarily toss out dramatic words for political expediency to inaccurately and lamely describe a proper and respectful encounter between opposing points of view in a protesting situation. This is actually what is great about America where two totally diverse points of view in a completely acceptable way engage one and other.

    1. So standards for an elected official can be the same as… ?? Antifa? Like an opposing view antifa style? Verbally attacking and threatening others? Old ladies not off the table either? That is okay for a Rep? Should he not have a “higher standard?” Being say that he is taxpayer funded? Hmmm

  7. If you protest, then you need to accept that someone feels the opposite so I don’t see anything wrong with anyone’s role here as long as all concerned are peaceful and allow for others to protest too. Bottom line: the protesters and the Representative were within their legal bounds and being good citizens.

    1. With the exception, of course, of calling the women names, invading their personal space and the illegal act of videotaping without their permission, even to their vocal exception to being filmed. Any political representative certainly shouldn’t act like that, correct?

      1. Lol PP protesters film patients all the time, get verbally abusive, call them whores and sluts, scream at them, and surround them.

        Furthermore, it IS EXPRESSLY not illegal to film people in public in PA. Yoy have no right to privacy in public at a protest.

      2. Anyone can videotape anyone in public. There is no need to ask their permission. So there is that.

        1. There is a difference between videotaping and harassing. Further, there is a higher expectation of our elected officials. They do not berate and harass children and elderly individuals calmly exercising their constitutional rights.

          This was shameful. Maybe not illegal- maybe- but certainly something people should wince at.

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