You may not know Patrick Castle by name, but you are certainly familiar with his “work”. He is the leader of “Life Runners“, an evangelical anti-abortion group that helps Governor Ricketts, Senator Joni Albrecht, Senator Suzanne Geist, and all the other misogynists to get their anti-abortion bills passed. You’ve seen their ridiculous “protect the unborn” signs everywhere. Patrick Castle is also a violent extremist who assaults women at rallies and outside of abortion clinics. This is a case where everyone knows this guy is increasingly violent and out of control, and the cops refusal to put any check on him, despite multiple documented assaults, is inevitably going to lead to tragedy. In his most violent and unhinged attack yet, on September 25, 2020, while outside the CARE Clinic in Bellevue, he asked his wife to start filming, and then he brutally assaulted a CARE Clinic volunteer while loudly saying that she broke his sign. Warning: the video at that link is extremely difficult to watch.
As reported by Marie Claire magazine, Patrick Castle stands outside the CARE Clinic in Bellevue Nebraska every week to harass patrons, staff, and volunteers. He wears a vest he had made to look exactly like the CARE volunteer vests and diverts people trying to get to the clinic for care by telling them he is a doctor and asking what time their appointment is. Sometimes he has someone in scrubs with him to complete the façade. He even goes so far as to climb into clients’ cars. He then takes them to his own anti-abortion clinic nearby and lies to them about a variety of things, including how far along they are in their pregnancy. The Bellevue Police are aware of this and say there’s nothing they can do about it because he really is a doctor so he is not lying.
Patrick Castle and his violent outbursts are well known to anyone who fights for reproductive rights. Two years ago, there was a rally in the rotunda for Senator Joni Albrecht’s LB209, AKA the Lie to Women Bill. This rally was attended by both anti-abortionists and normal people who don’t think they own other people’s bodies. While standing in a balcony above the rotunda with a sign, one of the members of B.ON.E.R. K.I.L.L. Nebraska was assaulted by Patrick Castle as he physically pushed her around to get in front of her to hold up his own deranged sign and block hers. This was not just one shove, his physical harassment went on for minutes. Pete’s State Patrol did nothing.
After the rally in the rotunda, these same Boner Kill members were denied entry to the bill signing and presser that they had previously been told by Senator Geist’s office was public. As they were being detained outside Pete’s presser room by the State Patrol, Patrick and his anti-abortion devotees were ushered past them right into the room.
Actual Male Doctor Pat MaCrotch explains the 1st Amendment to the State Patrol
Last year at the signing of Senator Suzanne Geist’s Abortion Ban Bill, which was held on the steps of the Capitol, Boner Kill and other activists were once again denied entry – yes, denied entry *to the steps of the Capitol*. Pete had roped the area off, and while they tried to deny entry to the people who were there to protest this fascist bill, a few women bravely stood their ground initially despite unmasked State Patrol members (at the height of COVID last summer) getting into their faces and shoving them around while threatening them with arrest. As the protestors were being shoved around by the State Patrol, the roped-off area filled up with nuns, Pete’s Purchased Senators, and of course Patrick Castle and his mob in their tacky Life Runner windbreakers. When Patrick and his wife were driving away after the “ceremony”, they took the time to pull over to verbally harass the protestors. As the protestors stood there laughing at him, he became angry and pulled swiftly into traffic without looking and almost smashed right into a car that was driving by.
So why do Catholics keep promoting this behavior as a role model for their parishioners? This violent man is still being invited to speak at local Catholic Churches. Even after being made aware of his violent behavior, St Patrick’s Church in Gretna confirmed he will still be speaking there on June 17.
The organizers of “Life Day” (eyeroll) in St Joseph, MO said they have not yet made a decision of about his being the Life Day speaker, but certainly didn’t condemn his violent actions.
I would be hard-pressed to pick the worst thing about this man and situation is, but I have some contenders. Is it:
- the fact that the Bellevue cops are well aware of his deception and violent tendencies outside the CARE Clinic and refuse to do anything about it,
- the fact that the violent assault that took place last September was not reported in any local media,
- the fact that churches continue to promote Patrick Castle as some scion of virtue, or
- the fact that this violent misogynist gets invited to all Pete’s gross anti-abortion soirees while Pete’s State Patrol threatens citizen journalists and protestors with arrest (and who straight up cancelled his pressers rather than allow NOISE in the room)?
If you agree that churches should not continue inviting Patrick Castle to speak, give them a call. You can start with the Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Gretna. Their number is 402-332-4444.
