Tue Jan 4, 2022 – 10:02 am ESTTue Jan 4, 2022 – 10:03 am EST
(LifeSiteNews) — Fire burned the Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Knoxville, Tennessee, to the ground on New Year’s Eve. According to a local news outlet, there were no injuries.
The center provides chemical abortions, but had been closed since December 7 for renovation and expansion. An investigation of the Knoxville Fire Department, aided by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), has yielded no evidence of arson so far.
No surrounding properties suffered obvious damage, including a nearby prayer garden belonging to Tennessee Right to Life.
The expansion would have roughly doubled the facility’s space from 3,900 square feet to 7,900 square feet. Pro-lifers in the area suspected that the center would have started to offer surgical abortions, but this was never confirmed.
When expansion began, Planned Parenthood applied for a variance with the local zoning board to accommodate parking. Tennessee Right to Life contested the variance with the zoning board but was defeated.
The group appealed to the Knoxville City Council, initially requesting a continuance, but the council unanimously voted to deny the continuance. Ultimately, the request for variance was never heard, because engineers for Planned Parenthood changed the design of the structure.
Ten years ago, Knoxville had three abortion centers . Volunteer Women’s Medical
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