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A pro-choice activist has received harassing emails and anonymous calls since Monday, as well as threatening notes left at her home and place of work.

The threats began following the circulation of an online petition calling for interim Liberal Leader Robert Mitchell to step down after he attended a pro-life rally in Charlottetown on Sunday. Mitchell later stated he was pro-choice and that he attended as a courtesy to a constituent who had invited him.

Becka Viau, who has been involved in reproductive rights activism for several years, shared the petition on Facebook. The next day, a narrow sheet of paper was dropped at her home.

“We are watching, and it wouldn’t be surprising if you had an accident,” the note said.

The next day a similar note was left on her car, as she was attending a workshop with a local women’s organization.

"They dropped it on my car between that 20 minutes that I was inside," Viau said on Wednesday.

Who cares enough to threaten someone’s children and life when you're pro-life? - Becka Viau

“They obviously know what my car is. They obviously know where I live.”

“You better watch your kids as you are an unfit mother,” the note said.

As a result, Viau did not attend a rally on Tuesday in Charlottetown calling for Mitchell to be removed as Liberal leader.

The next day, Viau’s two-year old son, the younger of her two children, found another note in her yard, which bore the message, “watch your back MISS VIAU”.

When The Guardian spoke to Viau on Wednesday, she estimated she had received 10 harassing phone calls from a blocked number as well as several emails from the address noreply@anonymousemail.me.

Viau has reported the threats to Charlottetown police.

Charlottetown deputy chief of police Brad MacConnell made the unusual step of commenting on the matter.

“There is an active investigation ongoing,” MacConnell said.

Police patrols have also been increased in Viau’s neighbourhood, MacConnell said.

Viau said police were incredulous but supportive.

" 'Who cares enough to threaten someone’s children and life when you're pro-life?’ That's what the police said," Viau said.

This is not the first time Viau has been the target of anonymous harassment. After running for the Green party in 2015, she publicly stated she was in favour of abortion access on P.E.I. She received threatening messages targeting both her and her child.

But the rate of threats since Monday has been worse. The messages appear to have originated from multiple people. Viau believes the phone calls have been made by both men and women.

As a result, she has had to warn her younger daughter against playing in her front yard.

"We just call it the stranger danger alert," Viau said.

"It's unfortunate that she had to learn that when she was around two."

Stu.neatby@theguardian.pe.ca

Twitter.com/stu_neatby

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