Video has recently surfaced depicting a violent assault on the campus of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill last month. The video shows a female student attacking a young man after she apparently became angry over anti-abortion signage, according to a report by Campus Reform.
The young man, Austin Beigel, is an intern with the pro-life group Created Equal. Biegel said in a Facebook post that he was attacked while “peacefully talking to students about abortion,” adding that “violence from abortion supporters is becoming more common.”
The female attacker appears to be a student who attends the university.
Created Equal was reportedly on the UNC campus in order to display “large signs depicting the gruesome reality of abortion” and engage in conversations with students on April 2, a Tuesday press release from the group said. The appearance was part of a bigger tour across 14 college campuses, located in three different states.
“Footage of the outburst begins with a woman asking our team, ‘Did you put these [signs] up?’” the press release stated, according to The Daily Caller News Foundation. “When they respond affirmatively, she proceeds to repeatedly punch and kick a member of our staff."
The video shows the attacker repeatedly shouting that her victim is a “f*cking terrible person,” and that the signage is “not okay,” adding that it is “triggering.”
Created Equal President Mark Harrington reportedly said Tuesday that the university had still not reached out to the group, but that police had charged the assailant with non-aggravated assault. Campus Reform was not able to independently confirm those charges with the UNC police.
"Pro-abortion activists are losing the argument,” said Harrington, “and instead of seeking debate they are escalating the violence on peaceful preborn defenders on college campuses. We will never cave to acts of violence or intimidation. We will return hate with love for mothers and their babies."
According to The Daily Caller News Foundation, campus police confirmed the identity of 19-year-old attacker Jillian Alexandra Ward, who allegedly assaulted Beigel and struck him in “the face and stomach with her fist."
Ward’s Facebook account indicates that she considers herself to be a “feminist,” “mental health advocate,” and “activist.”
Beigel does not appear to be deterred by the attack, however.
“I hope you pray for the heart of the young woman who attacked me,” wrote Beigel on Facebook, “because ‘There but by the grace of God go I.’ Please consider supporting me and my wife so that I can continue bringing the truth in love to the many lost people in our country. Your donations make it possible for lives to be saved and changed by God through my ministry.”
Campus Reform reportedly reached out to UNC for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.