The 1986 Bombing of Tiller's Clinic

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The National Academies Press website - picture originated from the BATF

Late on the evening of June 9, 1986, someone detonated a homemade bomb on the roof near the east entrance to Tiller's clinic.

"Who Owns a Woman?" video by Goodwin Video & New Media - 2003 

The blast punched a hole through the roof and scattered some papers and files in Tiller's office.

Court TV - originally from local television coverage

Court TV - originally from local television coverage

Investigators look for evidence after the blast.

Considering all that happened that week, the timing of the bombing couldn't have been worse for Pro-Lifers.

The day after the bombing, the National Organization for Women (NOW) filed a Federal lawsuit against several pro-life activists accusing them of a violent conspiracy and a "reign of terror" against abortion clinics. This lawsuit (NOW vs. Scheidler) dragged through the courts for 17 long years until NOW finally lost the case at the US Supreme Court in February 2003.

The Wichita Eagle-Beacon  - June 1986

Accompanying the NOW case, proabortion activists were pushing the FBI to monitor and profile all Pro-Life activists including those who had no criminal record. NOW was certain a conspiracy existed among Pro-Lifers, even though the FBI said they had found no evidence of conspiracy.

Two days after the bombing, the Supreme Court issued one of the most important abortion decisions since Roe v. Wade. In this case (Thornburgh vs. the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologist,) the Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 that states could not put certain restrictions on abortion.

The Wichita Eagle-Beacon

Three days after the bombing, the National Right to Life Committee held their annual meeting in Denver. The bombing cast a pall over the convention.

Interestingly, the National Abortion Federation (NAF) met in Kansas City the week of the bombing.  Tiller attended at least some of the NAF meeting, but he made the three-hour trip from Kansas City to Wichita before the bombing.  He came to the clinic shortly after the blast to blame Pro-Lifers...

Clinic director George Tiller said shortly after the blast, "I think we have to look very carefully at the right-to-life groups. People certainly have said they want to shut us down." Wichita Eagle-Beacon, June 11, 1986

No one was ever arrested or charged for the bombing.

Tiller has given a detailed account of the 1993 shooting, but he has been tight-lipped about the details of the 1986 bombing.

Even today, the bombing is carelessly mentioned in most newspaper articles written about Tiller. The bombing has been a public relations bonanza for Tiller.

The Wichita Eagle-Beacon  - June 1986

Tiller hugs a supporter after the blast.

Click here to read about the massive "Summer of Mercy" protests in 1991.

 

SOURCES:

Many articles in The Wichita Eagle and Wichita Eagle-Beacon

Correspondence with Luhra (Tivis) Warren - former Tiller employee

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