Wednesday May 19, 2010
VIDEO: Peaceful Pro-Lifers Threatened With Violence by Enraged Young Man
By Thaddeus M. Baklinski
VANCOUVER, May 19, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On the day after Canada’s National March for Life drew unprecedented crowds and national media coverage, an enraged young man threatened a group of pro-lifers peacefully witnessing to the tragedy of abortion at a busy Vancouver intersection.
Last Friday the unknown individual approached the pro-life witnesses, who have gathered for several years on the corner of Broadway and Commercial Drive displaying graphic images of aborted babies, and repeatedly kicked, grabbed, and attempted to deface the signs of the pro-lifers.
The incident was caught on film by Campaign Life Coalition BC’s president, John Hof, who has posted the video on YouTube.
Hof said the young man “could not control his emotions as he lashed out at pro-lifers perfectly capable of defending themselves and even other, more elderly protesters. He appeared possessed by rage as he was incapable of engaging in calm conversation and was becoming more and more enraged as the minutes went by.”
Hof related that the person was eventually subdued and told to go on his way by a bystander who was concerned that two small children in the area were getting upset by the attacker’s violent behavior. Police were called but arrived on the scene too late to track down the individual.
Marlon Bartram, the Executive Director of the Kelowna Right to Life Society, who was the individual most targeted by the aggressive abortion supporter, said as he pointed to the abortion mill across the street: “What they do to me out here is nothing compared to what they do to the little children in there. I am not the least bit deterred. I am willing to take whatever they are do to me, to stand for the children.”
After the incident, Hof said the pro-lifers discussed among themselves what had just happened, and agreed that although they were a little shaken up, nobody was hurt and all were determined to return to the site to demonstrate as they have been doing the past several years.
The incident occurred just three days after Rev. Anthony van Hee was threatened with broken bones and death for protesting abortion on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. On the morning of May 11, Fr. van Hee was approached by a man identified as Malcolm Miller, 53, who threatened to kill the priest if he was still there at noon. Miller was subsequently arrested.
The video of the attack in Vancouver is available here (contains offensive language).
See related LSN coverage:
Famed Pro-Life Canadian Priest Receives Death Threat – Man Arrested
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/may/10051709.html