The Thomas More Society is taking Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to task after his office dropped what seemed to be an open-and-shut felony assault case against a violent assailant. Now, veteran pro-life advocate Savannah Craven Antao is filing a civil suit against her attacker, determined to hold her accountable after Bragg’s office refused to do so.
The incident happened in April 2025, when Antao was conducting a “woman-on-the-street” interview for Live Action in Manhattan. As the cameras rolled, Brianna Rivers — angered by Antao’s pro-life message — abruptly struck her multiple times in the face. The unprovoked attack left Antao bleeding, requiring stitches at the ER and saddling her with more than $3,000 in medical bills. Video of the attack went viral online, showing Rivers storming off with both middle fingers raised.
NYPD arrested Rivers and charged her with second-degree assault, a felony. But in what has become a pattern under Bragg’s leadership, the charges were first downgraded and then completely dismissed, without explanation.
“District Attorney Bragg’s shocking refusal to uphold justice only works to undermine confidence in the system,” said Christopher Ferrara, senior counsel at the Thomas More Society. “Failing to prosecute these clear-cut charges sets a dangerous standard for how our society responds to violence against those engaging in democratic dialogue.”
Charges dropped means it doesn’t get added to the list of left wing political violence. https://t.co/Esxut4tN4D
— memetic_sisyphus (@memeticsisyphus) September 26, 2025
Antao herself condemned the decision. “Millions of people saw my attack, an unprovoked assault, captured on camera while I was peacefully sharing my pro-life views,” she said. “Even with indisputable evidence, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office quietly let the charges fade away, as if protecting people from violence was negotiable. Political violence should never be tolerated or given a free pass.”
The Thomas More Society is now preparing to seek punitive damages against Rivers, warning that “this blatant example of selective prosecution” leaves peaceful advocates vulnerable to intimidation. Ferrara added that while Bragg’s office has gone soft on violent offenders who target pro-lifers, it has thrown the book at peaceful activists like Mark Houck and Paul Vaughn — men whose homes were raided by armed federal agents in front of their children under the Biden administration.
The double standard is glaring. Elderly pro-lifers beaten outside clinics walk away with no justice. Violent assailants like Rivers are shielded by prosecutors. Meanwhile, peaceful advocates are dragged through the federal system for simply praying or counseling outside abortion facilities.
Antao, however, is undeterred. Backed by the Thomas More Society, she vows to keep speaking for the unborn and to pursue accountability through the civil courts. “I will not be intimidated or silenced,” she said.
