Savannah Craven Antao, a 23-year-old pro-life reporter with the advocacy group Live Action, is calling for justice and prayer after she was violently attacked during a street interview in Harlem. Despite suffering visible injuries and mental trauma, Antao says she is choosing faith and forgiveness in the wake of the assault.
“I believe that this woman was hurt,” Antao said in an emotional interview given to news outlet New York Post, following the attack. “We want justice, but we also want to pray for this woman because she is obviously going through something a lot deeper. I have no words”, she added.
The incident occurred Thursday while Craven Antao was filming a man-on-the-street interview segment about Planned Parenthood and abortion. A verbal exchange with an unidentified woman turned violent when the interviewee launched a series of punches to Antao’s face.
The woman, who had initially expressed interest in being interviewed, grew agitated when the topic shifted to abortion alternatives.
Antao was left with a swollen eye, two stitches above her brow, facial pain, and what she described as a “heavy psychological burden.”
“Mentally, I’m kind of struggling,” she was quoted as saying by The Post. “Every time I open social media, I see the video of myself being assaulted. It’s terrifying”, she added.
Video of the confrontation, which has since gone viral, shows the woman reacting aggressively after a tense discussion about foster care and abortion. When Craven Antao suggested that killing foster children was not justifiable, the woman replied, “Why not?” before the situation rapidly escalated.
The woman punched Antao repeatedly and walked away shouting, “Suck my d**k.”
Craven Antao’s husband, Henry Antao, who was behind the camera during the interview, contacted 911 and provided the suspect’s description and photographs.
Antao, who has faced hostility in the past due to her pro-life stance, said this was the most violent incident she has experienced. “There’s probably a lot of people that want to hit me, but it takes a lot for you to just assault someone for different opinions,” she told The Post.
Still, her focus remains on healing and forgiveness. “Bruised, but blessed,” she wrote online shortly after the incident. “I am Okay! I love you all. Thank you for the support.”
