Sex

Violence in Front of Planned Parenthood that Doesn’t Perform Abortions

A "protest" turns violent in Oregon.

Police hold a man suspected in a stabbing outside an Oregon Planned Parenthood clinic. Photo: Shaun Hall/AP.

Many anti-choice activists, unhappy with limiting their protests just to clinics that terminate pregnancies, have expanded their reach to reproductive health clinics that don’t even provide abortions. It was a protest in front of one of those clinics that turned violent, as a local protester repeatedly stabbed the father of a woman who kicked over his anti-abortion and anti-Planned Parenthood signs.

Via the Associated Press:

Ted Clair was stabbed seven times in the abdomen and neck during a fight with Christopher Tolhurst, who had signs denouncing abortion and Planned Parenthood, officials said.

Witnesses said that earlier in the day, Clair’s 22-year-old daughter, Kailah Clair, argued with Tolhurst and kicked over his protest signs, Lt. Dennis Ward said.

They said Tolhurst pushed the woman, and she returned later with her father, who confronted Tolhurst.

Ward said in a statement that witnesses reported Ted Clair pushed Tolhurst to the ground and punched him “numerous times” in the face, and then Tolhurst stabbed Clair.

According to witnesses, Tolhurst has a history of standing outside the clinic, verbally and physically harassing those who used the services or even just passersby. One neighbor called it an “accident waiting to happen.”