Four abortion clinics in New Orleans were vandalized with a chemical the fire department believes to be butyric acid, a substance that has been used in clinic attacks in many states.
The FBI was alerted of the incident because the introduction of the chemical, which caused a temporary closing of the clinics due to its foul odor, could violate the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act which makes violence against reproductive health clinics a federal offense. Aside from disabling the clinics, the anti-abortion assault caused traffic to be rerouted for the duration of the evacuation and a private environmental cleanup agency to be called.
Similar butyric acid attacks occurred in nearly a dozen clinics in various major cities in Florida in June.
