Pro-life advocate Savannah Craven Antao says her attorneys at the Thomas More Society will file a civil lawsuit against Brianna Rivers, the pro-abortion woman who punched her in the face during a street interview in Manhattan months ago.
The announcement of the lawsuit comes after charges against the attacker were dropped by the district attorney’s office.
The assault occurred in April 2025 during a taped “woman-on-the-street” interview for the pro-life group Live Action, where Craven Antao was engaging passersby in dialogue about abortion.
Rivers, reacting violently to the pro-life message, unleashed several blows to Craven Antao’s face, causing a laceration that required emergency room stitches and racked up $3,000 in medical bills. The entire unprovoked attack was captured on video, which went viral on social media, showing Rivers walking away from the scene with both middle fingers extended.
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New York police arrested Rivers shortly after and charged her with second-degree assault, a felony that typically carries prison time. But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office first downgraded the charge to a misdemeanor before allowing the case to be dismissed entirely without explanation, leaving the victim without criminal justice.
“Millions of people saw my attack, an unprovoked assault, captured on camera while I was peacefully sharing my pro-life views and engaging in respectful dialogue,” Craven Antao said. “Even with indisputable evidence, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office quietly let the charges fade away, as if protecting people from violence was negotiable.”
“Political violence should never be tolerated or given a free pass,” she added. “When those in power refuse to hold accountable those who respond to free speech with violence, it threatens the very fabric of our civil society. I will not be intimidated or silenced when it comes to speaking up for the unborn, and with the support of Thomas More Society, I will keep pushing for accountability.”
The civil suit, to be filed on Craven Antao’s behalf, will seek full damages for her physical, medical and emotional injuries, along with punitive damages to deter future attacks on pro-life advocates.
Last week, the Thomas More Society revealed that Bragg’s office had been forced to publicly admit its failure in the case, but emphasized that an apology falls short of true justice.
Christopher Ferrara, senior counsel at the Thomas More Society, decried the dismissal as a “shocking refusal to uphold justice” that undermines public trust in the legal system, particularly amid a politically charged environment.
“District Attorney Bragg’s shocking refusal to uphold justice only works to undermine confidence in the system, especially when our political climate has become as fraught as it is now,” Ferrara said. “Failing to prosecute these clear-cut charges sets a dangerous standard for how our society responds to violence against those engaging in democratic dialogue.”
“This blatant example of selective prosecution shows a troubling disregard for equal protection, leaving peaceful pro-life advocacy exposed to intimidation and violence,” he continued. “Savannah’s assailant may have been spared criminal consequences by the Manhattan DA’s failure, but we will see to it that she faces accountability. We will seek justice for Savannah, including punitive damages, as a lesson to those who think they can respond to pro-life speech with violence.”
The incident unfolded in broad daylight on a Manhattan sidewalk, just blocks from a Planned Parenthood clinic, highlighting what pro-life groups call a pattern of hostility toward advocates who speak out against abortion.
Rivers even launched a GoFundMe campaign after her arrest to cover her legal defense, raising further outrage among supporters of the cause.
