Published July 16, 2019 Updated July 18, 2019
On Monday three intactivists targeted a pediatric medical office in Denver, Colorado. This video shot and edited by James Loewen shows three members of the Blood Stained Men – Loewen, Harry Guiremand, and Kenneth Hopkins (the leader who calls himself “Brother K”) – go into a building and attempt to enter a medical office unauthorized in order to harass the physician, staff, and patients. Hopkins and Loewen have perfected a deliberate manipulative technique to claim victimhood. They confront a target with aggressive language, invading personal space and positioning the camera in the target's face. They deliberately provoke a target to push the camera away from her face or nudge the cameraman (or another protester) away from her personal space. Once the provocation is successful, they loudly declare themselves to be the victims of aggression. Then they post the video on social media, hoping for the post to go viral. In this week's episode the B.S. Men encountered a receptionist and the physician, who - despite being outnumbered - successfully prevented them from entering the office. Had the bullies entered the office, they would have been able to violate patient privacy by filming patients.
The B.S. Men used false pretenses, claming they wanted to make a medical appointment or that they had a medical emergency. They ignored several orders to leave the building and continued to film the staff after repeatedly being asked to stop. The cowards complained when staff used physical force to prevent them from breaching the office. (A medical center, which is private property, can enforce prohibitions against filming, recording, and trespassing.) Hopkins assaulted a doctor when she took his camera-phone after he shoved it in her face. Only when the staff wisely retreated back into the medical office did the bullies leave the building. [1]
A transcript of the videotaped confrontation is below.
Shortly after the end of this video, a Denver police officer spoke with the protesters. The officer advised them that the building was private property, and the staff has the authority to ask them to leave. He also warned them that if people inside the building complained about their use of a bullhorn, they could be cited for violation of a noise ordinance. [1]
Hopkins shamelessly lied to the officer, contradicting his own video. Hopkins told the officer, "We went in without signs to offer an informational card to the doctor. That was it. That was our mission." On the contrary, at no point did any of the B.S. Men offer the doctor or the receptionist a card. [2] As noted above, they alternately claimed to have a medical emergency, that they wanted to make an appointment, or that they wanted to speak with the doctor. Once the doctor identified herself, they simply got in her face and argued with her.
Hopkins also told the officer that the doctor had invited them to have a conversation. This statement is misleading because it fails to take into account her duress. The video shows that the staff had asked the protesters to leave the building at least five times. After Hopkins assaulted Dr. Oster, she attempted to diffuse the situation by offering to sit down with them. Since Hopkins had terrified the doctor, making her fear for her own safety and that of her staff, the invitation was made under duress. [3] Note that she agreed to talk on the condition that they stop filming, a request that again was ignored.
Hopkins and Loewen had an advantage over the police officer. They knew that they could lie to the officer with impunity, so long as he didn't see their videos. That is why neither man offered to show their videos to the officer.
This isn't the first time that the leader of the B.S. Men has entered a medical building with ill intent. Six years ago Kenneth Hopkins drove 820 miles from California to Washington to stalk a nurse – because he was offended by a Facebook post.
On an individual basis intactivism is a mental disorder; collectively it is a cult. Whether acting individually or collectively, intactivists are planning and executing actions like this intended to provoke a physical reaction or intimidate and humiliate medical professionals.
Circumcision has the support of medicine, science, and law. Powerless to prevent more than 1.3 million newborn circumcision procedures in the U.S. each year, intactivists are becoming more frustrated, desperate, and brazen. We're concerned about their behavior, which has now escalated to the cusp of violence.
Circumcision Choice calls on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Congress of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG), the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), and other medical authorities - to warn their members and the general public about the danger posed by these fanatics.
TRANSCRIPT
RECEPTIONIST: Excuse me, this is private property.
HARRY GUIREMAND: We’re here to see the doctor about a medical emergency.
RECEPTIONIST: It’s not a medical emergency. Please - I’ve called the building management, and I’ve called the police.
JAMES LOEWEN: Who are you, ma’am?
RECEPTIONIST: Please stop filming.
LOEWEN: What’s your name, ma’am?
RECEPTIONIST: Can you guys please leave. This is a place of business.
[Receptionist places a phone call]
KENNETH HOPKINS and LOEWEN: We’re here to see the doctor, ma’am.
LOEWEN: Isn’t this a public building?
HOPKINS: Isn’t this a place where they make doctors appointments?
LOEWEN: We have some important information for the...
[The three men walk past the receptionist.]
HOPKINS: Let’s find the directory.
RECEPTIONIST: Please stay outside the clinic. I’m calling the police right now.
HOPKINS: I think Precision Medical Solutions, so let’s go in and talk, make our appointment.
RECEPTIONIST: Please. [blocking the door to the office]
LOEWEN: I don’t think you should be touching people, ma’am.
HOPKINS: Yes, ma’am. I don’t appreciate you touching me.
[Hopkins tries to enter the office, but the receptionist is leaning against the door.]
HOPKINS: So you can see, ladies and gentlemen...
[Dr. Oster opens the door to the medical office.]
DR. BRIANA OSTER: Everyone, please leave. Per building management, you are not allowed to come in here and talk to us.
HOPKINS: We’d like to talk to her and make a reservation.
LOEWEN: We’ve come to see the doctor about an emergency.
[Hopkins shoves his phone in the face of Dr. Oster, who grabs the phone.]
RECEPTIONIST: [to a police dispatcher]: Hi. We have protesters who are assaulting a doctor.
[Hopkins physically assaults and restrains Dr. Oster from behind.]
HOPKINS: Gimme my phone back. Get my phone, Harry. Get my phone. Grab my phone.
RECEPTIONIST: 3900 East Mexico Avenue, Suite 100.
HOPKINS: Do not steal my phone.
[crosstalk]
DR. OSTER: I’m not asking.
HOPKINS: You stole my property. You stole my property.
DR. OSTER: No, you assaulted me. Please leave.
HOPKINS: Oooooh no. You stole my property.
DR. OSTER: Please leave.
HOPKINS: You are on film stealing my property. Unbelievable.
DR. OSTER: No, I ... You know what, you’re right. And I actually apologize.
HOPKINS: You are on film right now. You are on film right now. This is going on the internet.
DR. OSTER: Would you like to sit down?
HOPKINS: You assaulted me. Unbelievable.
DR. OSTER: Would you like to sit down and talk?
[crosstalk]
DR. OSTER: Would you like to talk with me for real?
HOPKINS: Unbelievable.
[crosstalk]
LOEWEN: Do you understand why we’re here?
DR. OSTER: I do. But do you understand that most of the circumcisions I do are actually on adults who choose to have it?
HOPKINS: Are you Dr. Oster?
DR. OSTER: Yes, I am.
LOEWEN: And do you ever think about your victims, the children that you’re doing this to? No consent?
DR. OSTER: So I have a different opinion than you do. Because I see the medical benefit. I have taken care of several people that...
LOEWEN: Human sexual anatomy is not an opinion.
DR. OSTER: [sigh] I understand your opinion. But I have taken care of several children in the emergency room who have medical emergencies related to their foreskin. But this becomes...
LOEWEN: Having to do with premature retraction?
DR. OSTER: Having to do with something called paraphimosis.
LOEWEN: Would you ask this woman to stop...
DR. OSTER: Actually, I’m super uncomfortable with you guys taping me. If you'd like to have a conversation, you’re going to need to stop taping.
RECEPTIONIST: They are white men, older men.
HOPKINS: Ma’am, as you know, since you do circumcisions, we are the Blood Stained Men. We...
LOEWEN: You invited us to talk. We’d like to talk.
[The receptionist moves in front of Loewen to block him from filming Dr. Oster]
LOEWEN: STOP TOUCHING ME! STOP TOUCHING ME!
HOPKINS: You can see we’re being assaulted, ladies and gentlemen. This aggressive, young woman is representing herself as an employee of the building, and she has aided and assisted...
RECEPTIONIST: One is probably 5’5”, the other two are 6’, 6’2”.
HOPKINS: Dr. Oster in grabbing my camera. And Dr. Oster is now going into her clinic. She grabbed my camera out of my hands. It fell on the ground. We are broadcasting again.
[1] An initial version of this post erroneously indicated that the protesters fled the area before police arrived. A video showing a police officer interviewing the protesters outside the building (from 4:30-10:00) was brought to our attention.
[2] It takes one person, not three, to hand a business card to an office receptionist. And by filming the entire incident, Hopkins and Loewen showed that the confrontation was premeditated.
[3] This situation would be akin to a kidnapping victim or hostage who reluctantly agrees to have sex with her captor.