The woman captured physically assaulting a pro-life activist on camera in New York City has defended her actions, accusing the victim of provoking the attack.
Brianna Rivers, the woman behind the assault, addressed violent encounter, which occurred Thursday (April 3) during an interview with Savannah Craven Antao, a reporter for pro-life advocacy group Live Action.
In the clip, Rivers and Craven Antao were heatedly defending their respective stances on abortion, with Rivers being in favor of pro-choice and Craven Antao being vehemently against the practice.
At one point during the exchange, Rivers suddenly punches Craven Antao in the face multiple times before storming off down the street.
Rivers, a resident of the Bronx, claims that Craven Antao “railroaded” her during the interview and branded her as a “child killing monster,” and released an edited version of the footage that omits key details from the encounter.
While Rivers issued an apology to Craven Antao, she maintained her stance that she was simply reacting to the reporters badgering and alleged overt disrespect.
“To Savannah, I sincerely apologize but cannot sit around and allow you to continue pushing this one sided narrative. I understand hands being put on someone is never the answer, but throwing rocks and hiding hands is worse,” Rivers wrote in a Facebook post.
“She knows the truth and she needs to release the footage in its entirety. Savannah is a professional antagonist not a ‘reporter’ and the truth will be told.”
She continued to her defend her character in another post on Instagram, in which she refused to be vilified.
“I will not allow my image to be defamed by this woman’s actions. Anyone who knows me knows how respectful I am, I don’t even litter, there’s no way you believe I’m punching people for disagreeing with my POV,” wrote Rivers.
Craven Antao, who sustained a black eye, needed two stitches below her eyebrow and is suffering pain around her nasal area. Still reeling from the incident, Antao spoke with the New York Post about the ordeal, which she admits has left her shaken.
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“Mentally, I’m kind of struggling. I am having a lot of stress — just flashbacks about what happened to me,” Craven Antao explained.
“Every time I go on my phone and I open any social media, I see the video of myself being assaulted. And it’s like I go back to the moment. It’s terrifying.”
See the full video below.
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