Tory signs defaced after candidate Gordon Giesbrecht's abortion comments

'My body, my choice' are the wordsprinted and taped to a handful of Conservative signs in the Winnipeg South riding.

The signs were defaced Thursday following comments madeby Torycandidate Gordon Giesbrechtcomparing abortion to 9/11 and the holocaust.

In a 2009 video, Giesbrecht is recorded saying: "Six million Jews were killed in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. That's a staggering number, but get this: since abortion became legal in North America several decades ago, over 42 million unborn babies have been aborted."

"That's a 9/11 every day for the past 35 years," Giesbrecht said.

• Gordon Giesbrecht, Tory candidate, compares abortion to 9/11, Holocaust

The video surfaced Tuesday and by Thursdaya number of Giesbrecht'ssigns were defacedwith the phrase.

Voters in the area told CBC the backlash isnotsurprising.

"Sometimes when you have an extreme view one way or the other, whether it's pro-life or pro-choice, I mean you're open to comments," Esther Paradoski said.

"Though I don't believe that people should be defacing signs on other people's property. If those signs are somebody's front lawn that's private property," she said.

"It's election time. People do all sorts of things to 'de-popularize' the opponent," voterBusayo Adeloyesaid,adding he hadn't seen the signs personally but had heard about them.

Paradoski says it won't change her vote as she has already chosen her candidate but she says it could influence others.

"Maybe people don't know what was said in the past and you know it might sway their vote," she said.

Giesbrecht could not be reached for comment.

His campaign manager told CBC Newsthe teamstands behind their statement issued Tuesday: "The prime minister has been clear, we will not reopen the [abortion] debate."

• Timeline: abortion rights in Canada

Abortion was decriminalized in Canada on January 28, 1988.