Proud Boys hosts small anti-abortion protest in Santa Rosa, met by counterprotesters

A far-right group held an anti-abortion rally Saturday in Santa Rosa as a cadre of counterprotesters gathered across the street.

The protest, billed as a “Walk for Life” event hosted by Bay Area Proud Boys on fliers that circulated on social media, was attended by about seven pro-life supporters and was held at the Planned Parenthood Clinic on Sonoma Avenue.

While the protest was mostly uneventful, police were contacted by a woman who reported one of the counterprotesters threw something at the Proud Boys group.

Most of those protesters, who held signs with messages such as “Abortion is Evil” and “Save The Babies,” were men. A couple wore black and yellow clothing with the Proud Boys logo.

No one, except a woman who declined to share her name and who later moved to the side of the street where counterprotesters gathered, agreed to be interviewed.

Jay Tozier, 21, of Santa Rosa, said they and a friend were driving by when they spotted the protest. They stopped to speak with the anti-abortion group because Tozier had opposing views they wanted to share, they said.

One of the men who was part of the protest told Tozier he wanted women to have options other than abortion.

“I get worried seeing this,” Tozier said. “Women should not be harassed, should not be guilted into making a decision they don’t want to make.”

Santa Rosa police arrived at the scene of the protest shortly before 2 p.m. Sgt. Patricia Seffens said officers responded to a disturbance report involving one party throwing either pills or coffee at another, though she did not have additional details.

Officers cleared the call for service after speaking with the caller, Seffens said.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nashellytweets.