Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has refused to re-file charges against Brianna Rivers, the woman who violently assaulted pro-life advocate Savannah Craven Antao during a peaceful “woman on the street” video in Manhattan.
The assault and the subsequent mishandling of criminal charges has prompted outrage from pro-life advocates and Craven Antao’s attorneys.
The incident, captured on video, showed Rivers punching Antao in the face while Antao was expressing her pro-life beliefs.
Despite an apology from Bragg’s office acknowledging an “unacceptable error” in the initial handling of the case, the district attorney’s office has now rejected calls to prosecute Rivers, even after legal arguments demonstrated that prosecution remains viable.
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Thomas More Society, representing Antao, presented evidence to Bragg’s office showing that a felony assault charge, potentially classified as a hate crime, could still be pursued due to an extended discovery deadline tied to the original felony charge at Rivers’ arrest.
In a detailed legal letter, the group urged Bragg to act swiftly to deliver justice.
In response, the DA’s office has responded, “We have carefully reviewed the research you presented but have concluded that continued prosecution is not possible in these circumstances.”
The letter offered no explanation for rejecting the legal analysis and added, “I hope that engaging with our Survivor Services Bureau can help Ms. Craven Antao find some closure in this process, which we recognize the criminal prosecution failed to give her.”
That was little consolation for the pro-life advocate and her lawyers.
“This is unacceptable,” said Christopher Ferrara, Senior Counsel at Thomas More Society and Antao’s attorney. “We believe the DA’s office had an opportunity handed to them to fix their mistake and deliver justice to a young woman who was assaulted in broad daylight, on camera, for peacefully expressing her pro-life beliefs. Their own letter admits the system failed her, nor does the letter actually state that our legal analysis about refiling a felony charge was incorrect. Instead, the DA’s office reveals that it simply will not prosecute the violent attacker of a peaceful pro-life advocate.”
Ferrara questioned the DA’s priorities, stating, “What else are we to conclude when the DA’s apology was followed by a refusal to correct the very mistake they apologized for? Does anyone doubt that the result would have been different if Rivers were a peaceful pro-abortion advocate and Savannah a violent pro-life attacker?”
National backlash followed Bragg’s initial mishandling of the case, amplifying calls for accountability and this second refusal to prosecute won’t help.
With criminal prosecution stalled, the Thomas More Society announced plans to pursue civil action against Rivers to seek justice for Antao.
“Savannah was the victim of a violent crime caught on video simply because of her willingness to profess her faith-based, pro-life beliefs about the dignity of the preborn,” Ferrara said. “Alvin Bragg’s office will not do its job, but we will do our job.”
The case has sparked renewed debate over the treatment of pro-life advocates, with critics arguing that the DA’s refusal to act reflects bias against those who defend the unborn. Antao’s supporters continue to demand accountability for the assault, vowing to keep her case in the public eye.
