Pro-Choice Man Roundhouse Kicks Pro-Life Activist in Video; Compares Himself to MLK, Gandhi
A video of a pro-choice male hairdresser roundhouse kicking a pro-life activist in Toronto during a demonstration has gone viral online.
The incident occurred on Sept. 30 at Campaign Life Coalition's demonstration in the Canadian city, Global News reported. Pro-life leader Marie-Claire Bissonnette explained that she and about 76 other pro-life protesters were taking part at an event called Life Chain.
"This guy comes up and I guess he sees what's going on, and so he took out three markers and he drew on two of our signs, and so I shouted, 'Protect your signs,'" said Bissonnette. "I guess that gave him the idea to start scribbling on people's backs, so he scribbled on five people's backs."
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Bissonnette said that she started recording the man on the phone, and the two started arguing about a hypothetical situation regarding whether a raped teen should have an abortion. The man is then seen delivering a roundhouse-kick to Bissonnette in the shoulder, which knocked her phone to the ground.
"I did not see it coming. I didn't anticipate any violence," Bissonnette said. "As soon as he kicked me, the only thing I could think of was to get the police, make sure someone calls the police."
Bissonnette said that she intends on filing a complaint, but alleged that police seem reluctant to help.
"I told them what happened and showed them the video and they said, 'What do you want us to do about it?'" the activist said. "Just the way they phrased things kind of leaned toward encouraging me not to press charges."
The Human Defense Initiative identified the man as Jordan Hunt, a hairdresser in Toronto. Until Wednesday he was a sub-contractor at a local hair studio. The shop has since said that after finding out what happened, it will no longer employ him.
Noble Studio 101 explained in a statement: "It has been brought to our attention that Jordan Hunt has been caught on camera assaulting an innocent bystander at a pro-life rally."
"We don't condone his actions and he has been let go. We believe that everyone has a right to an opinion and the right to voice their opinion without fear of physical violence," it added.
The Human Defense Initiative's website posted another video of Hunt from this past summer, where he again assaulted a pro-life activist, this time a Canadian Center for Bio-Ethical Reform intern.
Pro-life speaker Alissa Golob meanwhile posted a screenshot of an online conversation she had with Hunt, sharing it on her Facebook page on Thursday.
In it, Hunt explains that he did not mean to kick Bissonnette, but only to kick the phone out of her hand.
"But you haters don't care about the truth," he accused. "I will NOT apologize for defending women's right to choose. Even to a woman," he declared.
"Heroes were always attacked in their day for defending the rights of others. MLK, Gandhi, Susan B. Anthony," he listed out. "I will NOT back down for defending women's rights."
The video of the roundhouse kick can be seen below: