Pro-Choice Groups Take Fight to Beverly Hills City Hall Over Abortion Access
A coalition of pro-choice organizations and local activists gathered at Beverly Hills City Hall on Tuesday, March 18, to present 640 signatures urging city officials to settle their ongoing legal battle with DuPont Clinic, a reproductive health provider that had been slated to open in the city before its lease was abruptly terminated.
You can read the petition here.
The protest, led by the bhforchoice movement, included representatives from the California National Organization for Women (CA NOW), Feminist Majority, the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom (CCRF), Los Angeles Guild for Reproductive Health, Heart of LA Democratic Club, Santa Monica Democratic Club, Hang Out Do Good (HODG), and the Women’s Political Committee (WPC).
The activists signed the petition that demands that the city of Beverly Hills cease its legal action against DuPont Clinic and abandon its efforts to recoup legal fees after the city successfully fought off a lawsuit from the clinic.
The controversy dates back to October 2022, when DuPont Clinic, a Washington, D.C.-based provider that offers abortion care throughout pregnancy, signed a lease for medical office space at 8920 Wilshire Blvd in Beverly Hills. Encouraged by the city’s prior public support for reproductive rights, DuPont invested $2 million in renovations, preparing to open what would have been one of the only clinics in the country providing abortion services later in pregnancy.
However, in April 2023, anti-abortion activists mobilized against the clinic’s opening, making direct appeals to city officials. Internal emails revealed that Councilmember Sharona Nazarian expressed concerns about how the lease was approved, prompting city officials, including Beverly Hills City Attorney Larry Weiner and Mayor Julian Gold, to take steps that ultimately led to the clinic’s eviction.
Allegedly, city officials withheld permits, citing vague legal concerns, and met privately with the property’s owner, Douglas Emmett, to discuss “security risks” associated with the clinic. The city’s emails also considered sending police cadets to deliver letters warning the building’s tenants about the alleged risks of protests, without mentioning the legal protections in place for tenants and the clinic itself.
Under increasing pressure, Douglas Emmett terminated DuPont’s lease just four months before the clinic was set to open.
DuPont Clinic filed a lawsuit against Beverly Hills and Douglas Emmett, alleging that the city had deliberately obstructed the clinic’s operations. The city responded with an anti-SLAPP motion, arguing that officials were engaging in protected speech rather than unlawful interference. A judge ruled in favor of Beverly Hills, allowing the city to recover its legal fees from DuPont—a clinic now struggling financially after investing millions in the failed expansion.
