NYC woman who punched pro-life activist Savannah Craven accuses her of ‘antagonistic’ behavior

The woman caught on video punching pro-life activist Savannah Craven during a street interview in Harlem has issued an apology but claimed the incident was provoked by Craven's “antagonist” behavior.

Brianna Rivers, who was identified as the individual involved in the assault, admitted wrongdoing in a post on Facebook, according to a report by the New York Post.

“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. “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.”

However, Rivers accused Craven of intentionally antagonizing her during the man-on-the-street interview. She also accused Craven of editing the footage to remove “relentless antagonization” leading up to the act of violence.

“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,” Rivers added. 

The incident occurred when Craven was questioning Rivers about Planned Parenthood and abortion. During the exchange, Craven interrupted Rivers and asserted that women who have had abortions were “killing babies.” Rivers then struck her in the face.

Craven later posted photos of her injuries on Instagram, including a bloodied face, and wrote, “I was just assaulted in Harlem interviewing people on the street. In cop car. Heading to hospital. Updates soon. ABORTION SUPPORTERS ARE VIOLENT!”

As a result of her injuries, Craven is now dealing with a black eye, two stitches on her eyebrow, and pain in her face, according to the New York Post.

“Mentally, I’m kind of struggling. I am having a lot of stress — just flashbacks about what happened to me,” Craven said. “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."