'My ties to this community are done': Jewish London member reacts to being evicted from Jewish Community Centre

A member of London’s Jewish Community said she was wrongfully removed from an event.

A video posted to the Facebook page of an organization called Independent Jewish Voices Canada shows a clearly distraught Darlene Zaifman-Guslits as she stands surrounded by police and others in the lobby of the London Jewish Community Centre on Huron Street, "This is a building that I have put my blood and tears into. I have spent thousands of hours and thousands of dollars volunteering in this building. You have no right to keep me out of here."

The exchange takes place just after Zaifman-Guslits learned she would not be allowed into the community centre for an event featuring Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre on Thursday evening.

Eventually she agreed to sign a 24-hour no-trespass declaration.

She believed it only applied to the community centre building and was waiting outside, when she was told she would have to leave the property.

Trespass order given to Darlene Zaifman-Guslits prohibiting her from entering the community centre property for 24 hours. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

At that point, she sat down on the sidewalk and refused to move, "That is not what this forum is supposed to be about and I will not just leave."

London police tried to negotiate with her, but eventually picked her up by her arms and legs and walked her to the side of Adelaide Street.

Zaifman-Guslits said prior to Poilievre’s event, members of her family were part of a protest across the street from where the community centre is located.

Her daughter, Ilana Guslits, told CTV News, "Pierre Poilivre’s policies are harmful to all of us. Not just the Jewish community."

Facebook video shows Darlene Zaifman-Guslits confronting Jewish London members. (Source: Submitted)

The family members had all registered to attend the event at the community centre, but when certain members were identified as being part of the protest, they were asked to leave.

Zaifman-Guslits made the case to Jewish London Executive Director Rob Nagus that she was not part of the protest. He agreed to allow her in, but she says that's when one of Poilievre's staff members intervened.

"He looked at my head, which was wearing this scrunchie,” she said, pointing to a Pride-themed hair scrunchie. “…and a Pride Kippah, and my t-shirt, which said 'protect trans kids.'”

Zaifman-Guslits said the party official told her, “Because of what you are wearing, you cannot come in."

Zaifman-Guslits said she's been going to events at the community centre since she was a baby, and has volunteered at the centre for decades.

Facebook video shows Darlene Zaifman-Gustlis being removed from property by police. (Source: Submitted)

She believes Jewish London leadership wanted to host Poilievre because of his support for the Israeli government's actions in Gaza in the wake of the Oct. 7 assault by members of Hamas.

She said she had no intention of disrupting the event, "Absolutely, not. Would I have asked questions? Difficult questions? Absolutely. Would I have been disruptive? No. I am a respectful human being. I want to engage in respectful conversation."

Zaifman-Guslits said no one came to her defence as she was asked to leave, and claims some smirked as she was escorted out.

She said she won't continue as a member of Jewish London, "Not a chance. My ties to this community are done.”

CTV News reached out to both Jewish London leadership and Conservative Party representatives, with both indicating they wouldn’t have a response to the removal of Zaifman-Guslits from Poilievre’s event.