By John-Henry Westen
SCARBOROUGH, ON, January 23, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – At about 11:30 a.m. Sunday, the day prior to the federal election, Conservative candidate for Scarborough South West (SSW) Vincent Veerasuntharam (VV) and campaign workers verbally harassed and physically threatened a family who were distributing a pro-life candidate evaluation sheet outside Our Lady of Fatima Shrine Catholic Church in Scarborough.Â
The family in question was that of LifeSiteNews.com director Steve Jalsevac, who warned the candidate he was recording the harrassement.Â
Jalsevac, his wife and four children aged 11-16 were handing out pro-life candidate evaluation sheets compiled by Campaign Life Coalition which detailed information on candidates in the three ridings in which parishioners of the Church reside. The sheet endorsed a Conservative in one, a Liberal in another and no candidate in the third. (See the sheet here: https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006_docs/evaluationletter.pdf )
In the SSW riding, the sheet endorsed pro-life Liberal MP Tom Wappel since VV refused to respond to the CLC questionnaire. On VV the sheet stated: “Vincent Veerasuntharam, the CPC candidate and his campaign team, have consistently declined to publicly commit his campaign to defending the preborn, sick, aged or traditional marriage through not answering the Campaign Life Coalition questionnaire.”
Vincent and his team were coming to the churchÂeach Mass to place a campaign flyer on all the car windshields and Vincent spoke toÂparishioners after they came out of the busier masses.
The Jalsevacs reportÂthatÂneither VincentÂnor his campaign workers wereÂpresent after the 9:30am Mass and that most parishioners given the sheet were gracious and pleased to receive it. ÂWhen the JalsevacsÂcame for the end of the 10:30 Mass Vincent and an assistant were there. They immediately followed Mrs. Jalsevac and began lecturing her about the CLC sheet. Steve then joined them.
After objecting vehemently to the sheet’s evaluation, and the pro-life family’s unwillingness to cease handing out the flyer, the candidate took a swing at Steve Jalsevac but stopped short of connecting as Jalsevac withdrew to avoid the blow. On theÂrecording during the physical threat, the candidate can be heard at the time saying, “what are you finding so funny, you want me to, you want me to f..ah, go into jail, I don’t mind, because you are sucking up to Tom Wappel. You know Tom Wappel is the biggest, cunning bastard. Tom Wappel is the biggest bastard in the planet.” (Listen to the clip here:
Real Media Format
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/audio/swingatsj.rm
Quicktime mp3 format
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/audio/swingatsj.mp3 )
When warned that the exchange was being recorded, the candidate initially said he did not care. On the tape Jalsevac can be heard stating: “Whatever you are saying right now will be recorded.” VV can be heard responding: “It doesn’t matter, record it. Tom Wappel is the biggest hypocrite, Tom Wappel is the biggest crook.” (Hear that exchange here:
Real Media Format
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/audio/recordit.rm
Quicktime mp3 format
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/audio/recordit.mp3 )
However, later in the incident VV’s campaign workers can be heard on theÂrecording forcibly attempting to take the recorder away from Jalsevac. As the workers attempted to physically remove the recorder one can be clearly heard on the tape saying, “Take this recorder off his hands.” (Listen to the clip:
Real Media format
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/audio/takerecorder.rm
Quicktime format
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/audio/takerecorder.mp3 )
One of the men pursued Steve up the Church front steps and into the Church foyer as Steve sought refuge in the church as he feared heÂwas going to be assaulted.ÂJalsevac came out a few moments later and was immediately set upon by the man who had pursued him and had his coat pulled open and shirt ripped as the large, over six-foot manÂtried to grab the recorder.
The incident was witnessed by at least several parishioners as it occurred at the top of the Church’s front steps after a Mass as the church was emptying. When police from 41 Division arrived, witnesses described the events and Mr. Jalsevac said he wanted to press charges against VV and the campaign workers accompanying him.
41 Division night staff sergeant Patterson told LifeSiteNews.com that a unit had been dispatched to the church earlier today but only the day shift could provide more details of the event.Â
Jalsevac says that asÂthe VV worker who was persuing him shoved him he was forced back into his wife, knocking her to the ground. At this point, he relates, his sixteen-year-old son ran to assist and he too was shoved byÂthe man. The family reports it was a frightening experienceÂfor them all and they feared for their safety. The younger children wereÂscreaming and crying during the attack on Steve and his young son.
Developing . . .
See follow-up article on this incident
More Details on Conservative Candidate’s Harassment of Pro-Life Family
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jan/06012310.html