Sherwood students face off with anti-abortion protesters

Sherwood Secondary students arrived at school Tuesday to find anti-abortion protesters holding graphic signs of fetuses in front of the school. Students reacted to the protest and video-taped their response and posted it to the web.

We protested their protest, the video description reads.

There's an elementary school just behind this crowd and these people are coming in with their abortion signs, a student said in the video.

The protest is staged by the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethnical Reform (CCBR), a group based in Toronto and Calgary. It is part of the group's campaign that has delivered graphic cards to Hamilton homes and put up banners on the highways. A truck carrying graphic signs has also been driving around Toronto and nearby cities, including Hamilton.

CBC Hamilton has also received a complaint about the group's door-to-door campaign. The man said he was upset at the card left hanging on his doorknob featuring graphic images of aborted fetuses.

Stephanie Gray, co-founder and executive director of the group, said the images which she describes as graphic and disturbing are aimed to outrage people.

We have found pictures to be effective in changing minds and saving lives, we know of women who have cancelled abortions based on our pictures, she told CBC Hamilton.

The group has planned an 18-year campaign that began two years ago in Canada. Its Hamilton leg has started about a week ago, according to Gray.

This isnt ending any time soon, she said. Our philosophy is as long as children are being killed, the evidence will be brought to people's attention.

The group plans to stage further demonstrations on public property outside Hamilton schools. She would not say which schools.

Hamilton police are aware the group is in the city and they have been liaising with the Mountain police superintendent, Police spokesperson Const. Debbie McGreal-Dinning told CBC Hamilton in an earlier interview.

We respect their role for peaceful demonstration, she said.