By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
After weeks of right-wing attacks, on Tuesday evening Boston Children's Hospital had to go into a soft lockdown after someone threatened the facility.
Police officials in Massachusetts continue investigating a bomb threat at Boston Children's Hospital since Tuesday. For weeks, right-wing troll Chaya Raichik, who runs the transphobic Libs of TikTok Twitter account, has aimed her followers at the hospital, falsely claiming that inside, doctors are mutilating children under the guise of gender-affirming care.
Somebody made a threatening phone call to the hospital at 8 p.m., but no bombs were found, according to the Boston Police Department, Boston's NBC affiliate WBTS reports.
Before 10 p.m., local Boston NBC reporter Oscar Margain tweeted a video from the scene showing a significant police response at the hospital.
\u201cHappening now: #Boston police set up a perimeter around Boston Children\u2019s hospital after a bomb threat was called. Bomb squad called in. They report no one hurt and are sweeping the building. \n\nMore at 11 @NBC10Boston\u201d— Oscar Marg\u00e1in (@Oscar Marg\u00e1in) 1661910023
Raichik frequently engages in stochastic terrorism and has been tweeting false and misleading information about the hospital's services. For example, she claims that children inside the facility are subjected to hysterectomies, mastectomies, and other genital surgery.
Boston Children's Hospital offers the nation's first transgender health program for children and adolescents. But, after the hospital posted a video about gender-affirming care for patients, far-right social media accounts and commentators began terrorizing it and its staff.
Raichik and her followers are attacking the institution because the hospital provides essential gender-affirming healthcare, and conservatives have made it their mission to demonize trans kids and doctors who support them.
Boston Children's Hospital took to Twitter to release a statement.
\u201chttps://t.co/yjKW9ru0eq\u201d— Boston Children's (@Boston Children's) 1661953827
"Last night, the hospital was the target of an anonymous bomb threat.," the statement begins. "We moved swiftly to protect our patients and employees, and we are working with law enforcement and outside experts as they closely investigate this situation. We are relieved no bomb was found and that employees and patients are safe."
However, the hospital acknowledged that the threats to it were not over. "We remain vigilant in our efforts to battle the spread of false information about the hospital and our caregivers. We are committed to ensuring the hospital is a safe and secure place for all who work here and come here. We will provide additional information as we are able."
The FBI acknowledged to The Advocate recently that it was aware of the situation in Boston.
"The FBI takes all threats seriously," an FBI official wrote. "We work closely with our local law enforcement partners to assess and respond to threats to keep our community safe. As always, we would like to remind members of the public that if they observe anything suspicious to report it to law enforcement immediately."
