About 200 pro-life demonstrators from all over southern Ontario joined a diverse collection of others – including Serb, anti-war and tainted blood protesters – outside the Hamilton banquet centre where the man known to the North American pro-life community as “the abortion president” spoke at a fund-raising dinner for a unit of St. Joseph’s Catholic hospital on May 2.
Extreme security measures, perhaps inspired by the recent setup at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec, obscured some of the protesters’ messages against Bill Clinton. Traffic was blocked for more than a kilometre in each direction, forcing demonstrators to park their cars great distances from the banquet centre. Some, particularly the elderly, decided not to make the lengthy trek on foot.
Those hardy enough to make the journey to the banquet centre were met with lines of police from the Hamilton and OPP forces, as well as metal barriers that kept them far from the doors. Even then, the demonstrators were penned into a small area, far also from where cars were entering the banquet centre parking lot.
That didn’t stop the protesters from waving their placards and chanting “Shame! Shame!” as cars filed in. Particularly loud shouts and boos erupted when the presidential motorcade appeared, and when a Hamilton police honour guard entered.
The protesters enjoyed some good fortune when the banquet centre’s parking lot filled and guests were forced to park their cars across the street. That meant they had to walk a few metres right in front of the demonstrators to get into the centre. The demonstrators took advantage of the opportunity, shouting “Shame! Shame!” “Disgrace!” and “Have you heard of Monica?” as well-heeled guests entered.
Most dinner attendees kept their heads down and walked quickly. Others smiled and waved their tickets. At least one man flashed a raised middle finger.
Among those ducking the protesters were Ontario Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty, former Ontario premier David Petersen and Ontario transportation minister (and member of the Knights of Columbus) Brad Clark. Civic officials, including a provincial court judge and the manager of the Copps Coliseum arena, also rushed by.
Petersen, who presided over Ontario when Henry Morgentaler made his advances in establishing freestanding abortuaries in Toronto, said of Clinton, “He’s a good man. I like him. We’ve worked on some good issues together.”
Press reports said most of McGuinty’s caucus was present, as were musician Ronnie Hawkins, Liberal MP Stan Keyes, media mogul Leonard Asper, Hamilton Mayor Bob Wade, former Ontario lieutenant-governor Lincoln Alexander, Ontario Health Minister Tony Clement, Liberal MPP Dominic Agostino (a former Catholic school trustee), McMaster University president Peter George and former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna.
Perhaps appropriately, the marijuana-promoting brotherly duo of Michael Baldasaro and Walter Tucker, representing the “Church of the Universe,” also attended. They wore hemp caps among the tuxedo-clad crowd.
Tactical units from the Hamilton and Ontario provincial police paced about, while plainclothes officers mingled among the demonstrators. U.S. Secret Service agents and RCMP personnel stood on the roof of the banquet centre. Inside, Clinton spoke on the “inter-connectivity of today’s world” in a speech peppered with jokes.
Mainstream media gushed over a man who was always seen as a darling of the press while in office.
“Clinton turns on the charm: Ex-president delights guests with star appearance at charity gala,” read the lead headline in the Hamilton Spectator. “Charismatic Clinton wows ’em” and “Admirers came to experience a rare presidential moment,” declared headlines on other articles about the event.
In a press release prior to the dinner, Campaign Life Coalition Hamilton said it was “shocked and disappointed” that the Sisters of St. Joseph, who run St. Joseph’s Hospital, would allow someone of Clinton’s character to speak at one of their functions. Clinton twice vetoed bans on the horrific partial-birth abortion procedure, in addition to supporting every pro-abortion initiative that came his way.
Hamilton resident and pro-life activist Lynn Scime, who helped organize the pro-life part of the anti-Clinton protest, said that while she was disappointed Clinton likely did not see the demonstrators, many of the guests who went to hear him speak, did. “We made a statement to the people,” she said.
Scime also expressed concerns about St. Joseph Hospital’s response to those who took issue with Clinton’s appearance on its behalf.
“No one who raised this issue seemed to get a response. It wasn’t an issue they addressed. People at the hospital didn’t seem to pick up the significance of [Clinton’s] being here. Our message on that point didn’t get through, but I don’t think we should let it go. We have to remind them that they have a moral obligation to act as a moral institution.