An elderly anti-abortion protester who regularly posts up outside the Planned Parenthood on Valencia was knocked to the ground, beaten, and kicked by a younger man who made off with his anti-abortion banner last week.
The attack took place on March 21 around 3:45 p.m., according to Officer Robert Rueca, a San Francisco Police Department spokesman. Rueca said the victim reported that the assailant had harassed the anti-abortion protesters days earlier before returning to the scene.
Watch on Vimeo.com
In the video, which was posted on the anti-abortion website LifeNews.com, the assailant can be seen calmly walking back to his bicycle with the banner. When the elderly anti-abortion protester attempts to impede him by placing a pole in the bike’s spokes, the assailant knocks him to the ground with the bike. The victim, who is 85 years old, tumbles through two trash cans and hits the ground. “Old man, stay on the ground,” the assailant orders. “Stay on the ground, old man, unless you wanna get hurt.” The assailant kicks the victim multiple times when he won’t release the banner.
“The victim incurred non life-threatening injuries which he was treated for and released at the scene,” said Rueca. “We seized video from a witness that captured the incident.”
Possible crimes caught on the video include robbery with force and elder abuse, Rueca continued. He categorized this as “an active investigation.”
Mission Local has identified the victim, a regular protester on the site, but will not disclose his identity in this report.
Messages left for him have not yet been returned.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story is not on any of the tv news websites. Usually they like stories with video to go along with it.
Like Mr. Eskanazi said. there is no excuse for abuse of anybody. The person could have been 18 years old / woman / a UFC fighter… it doesn’t matter. You can counterprotest them if you feel you are annoyed at the protesters or film them back for crossing over the line but there is no excuse for kicking the old man when he is down and bringing the publicity on yourself. There are always going to be protests and people with ideas contrary to your ideology , beliefs or morals. But assaulting folks and making them come into SF General and bring more work for me to do is not cool.
Star and Pro Choice are the reason the police in the Mission have higher rates of violence. These 2 people represent all that is wrong with humanity. They justify beating up an 85 year old man because the old man said words to them that they didn’t like. They are so dumb and brainless that they cannot use words to combat an old coot. I really hope they do not reproduce.
welp, hope that pro lifer thinks twice about coming around here again
Free speech is important even when you disagree with it
Um… this article is misleading. Why did you choose the word “elderly” to describe him – so that we feel sympathy? I recognize this guy – he is out there all the time terrorizing women. He ain’t frail.
It looks like the “elderly man” (who again, terrorizes women who enter the clinic) had a sign of hate. It looks like the person with the bike took it from him. it looks like the “poor, elderly man” then put the stick of what remained of his sign in the wheel spokes of the other man’s bike. the man with the bike then pushed the terrorizer off of him and they both fell to the ground. the man with the bike then said “stay down old man” and walked away. The old man grabbed the sign again and the man with bike grabbed it back. The man on the floor didn’t let go and so the man with the bike kicked him.
Sorry the old man got kicked. That’s not cool. It is also not cool that 40 days of life encourages people to harass others. I walk past this PP everyday and they are QUICK to engage in verbal fire. Shame on them. (And you KNOW that 40 days of life is going to be all over this and use it for propaganda.)
I encourage Mission Local to do a report on how anti-choicers frequently break the law and IGNORE the 25ft buffer law.
(Also – “the assailant had HARASSED the anti-abortion protesters days earlier before returning to the scene”?! Um… and what was the anti-choice person doing every day if not harassment?! )
Who is the coward filming instead of helping the old man?
Exactly. Surely there were more than just this “reporting photographer” on the scene who could have stepped in to help. It is amazing how some people take something and push it through online media without publishing all the facts. Yes, the man assaulted the elderly person and it is unfortunate it went as far as it did. But, reporting just a fraction of something to make it look like something it is not is just wrong. And EVERYONE has a right to protest something they disagree with but inciting violence- no matter who does it- is not appropriate.
You show yourself to be a terrible liar when you say that an 85 year old man is not elderly,and expressing an an opinion that you disagree with is not harassment or terrorism. It is called free speech and is protected under the United States Constitution like it or not.
I don’t agree with his message either but his protesting was peaceful and within the law. If he impeded in the 25 feet rule, we have many ways of enforcing it that do not include theft assault and battery.
that was assault and battery. This guy’s face is clear on this video and he should be found and prosecuted.
Sir or madam —
If 85 isn’t “elderly,” then words have no meaning.
If you wish to rationalize or excuse this behavior, you do it on your own.
Best,
JE
Well said Joe.
There is so much wrong with a youth beating and kicking an 85 year old man.