Toronto Police Investigating After Video Captures Woman Shoving, Throwing Metal Clamp at Pro-Life Advocate

TORONTO — Toronto police are investigating a second incident of violence at a pro-life outreach after online video shows a member of an abortion “rights” group shoving, throwing metal objects and attempting to start a fight with those who were expressing their pro-life views at Ryerson University.

According to reports, the incident occurred on Oct. 1 as members of Toronto Against Abortion were holding signs and speaking to passersby about the issue of abortion. Members of Ryerson Reproductive Justice Collective soon decided to counter the group, holding their own signs to cover the pro-life group’s signs.

Video posted online shows a peaceful and civil discussion taking place between both sides, that is, until one member of the Ryerson group walks over to Toronto Against Abortion member Blaise Alleyne and kicks a graphic sign of an aborted baby that he was holding.

The woman, who has been identified as Gabriela Skwarko, then throws a metal dolly and clamp at Katie Somers, who was attempting to get away from the situation. The video shows Skwarko pursuing Somers, shoving her, pulling an item out of her backpack and throwing it to the ground, and then shoving Somers again after she calls out, “Get away from me!”

Others can be heard calling out “Chill out!” and “Relax!,” and one man positions himself between Skwarko and Somers to stop any further aggression.

“She kicked our signs, shoved them down. They fell down my leg, injuring me,” Somers told Global News. “And then I tried to run away, while she picked up a metal dolly and threw it at me and then proceeded to shove me, wrestle me around by my backpack and try to get me to fight her.”

Skwarko can also be heard saying in the video “Let’s go!” and then chest-bumping Alleyne as she provokes him to fight, saying, “Let’s do it. Are you filming me? Let’s do it.”

“Gabby, think carefully about this,” he replies.

Somers, who suffered bruises from the incident, has now filed a criminal complaint.

“We believe that the escalation of violence against peaceful pro-life protesters is becoming a problem and would like it to stop,” she said.

Toronto Against Abortion posted another video on Wednesday showing various clips of harassment, theft of signs, threats, and the yelling of profanities that the group has recorded since fall 2016.

Global News reached out to Ryerson Reproductive Justice Collective for comment, and were told by Co-Founder Olson Crow, “They have assaulted us multiple times, and giving into their viewpoint and the way they’ve swung this is problematic and bad.”

As previously reported, a separate issue not related to Ryerson took place on Sept. 30 at the Life Chain event in Toronto as abortion “rights” advocate Jordan Hunt, 26, roundhouse kicked Marie-Claire Bissonnette, 27, while she was answering his question about rape babies.

Bissonnette was recording Hunt after he allegedly had been defacing pro-life signs with a marker and approached him to advise that “destruction of private property” is “against the law.”

In the video, Hunt can be heard saying that he “meant to kick [her] phone,” but Bissonnette says that he struck her shoulder, and also ripped her leadership ribbon off her jacket before fleeing the scene.

According to the Toronto Police, Hunt surrendered to authorities on Oct. 6 and was charged with eight counts of assault and seven counts of mischief.

He was also charged with one count of assault for a separate incident in August when he similarly approached a group of people voicing their opposition of abortion and “tried to grab one of their signs.” The Toronto police state that Hunt then allegedly “pushed a woman into a pole” and fled the scene.

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