Calvin Robinson had his licence to provide ministry to the Anglican Catholic Church revoked after the incident.
Canadian Anti-Hate Network
Screen capture taken from a video of the 2025 National Pro-Life Summit. Source: Students for Life of America/YouTube
A priest of the Anglican Catholic Church who made headlines after he gave a mocking Nazi salute—also known as a Roman salute—during an anti-abortion rally is coming to Canada.
Calvin Robinson is being brought to Canada by Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) as part of its annual March for Life in Ottawa, Ontario.
He is scheduled to speak at the Youth Summit during the one-day event taking place on May 9 at the Ottawa Conference and Events Centre. Organized by CLC’s youth wing and Niagara Region Right to Life, Robinson is scheduled appear as one of two keynote speakers.
CLC describes itself as "the political arm of the pro-life movement in Canada," though its aims are much broader. CLC has taken a position against abortion, birth control, in vitro fertilization, being transgender, queer and transgender rights, and feminism.
CLC’s website calls Robinson a priest and broadcaster.
Categorizing his career as a staunch “pro-life advocate, campaigning for free speech and religious freedoms in Britain and the West,” he is known for debating “against three bishops from the Church of England who were arguing in favour of same-sex marriage in the Church.”
While Robinson has repeatedly positioned himself as a political figure, he is currently the lead spokesperson for the Eurosceptic, far-right United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), he made global headlines while attending the National Pro-Life Summit.
In a move meant to mimic the gesture made by Elon Musk—where the world’s richest man told a crowd he was giving “my heart” to them and proceeded to make an arm gesture similar to the salute used in Hitler’s Germany—Robinson told the summit “My heart goes out to you,” and then made the arm motion.
Father Calvin Robinson finished his remarks at the National Pro-Life Summit by throwing an Elon Musk salute, much to the delight of the crowd. pic.twitter.com/cAE9VyTsl1
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) January 29, 2025
Sometimes referred to as a Roman or Nazi salute, the motion was used by both the fascist governments of Germany and Italy during the interwar period of the early 20th century and the Second World War.
At the time, Robinson was a priest with the Anglican Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was removed shortly after. CLC’s website fails to state that the Anglican Catholic Church revoked Robinson’s licence to officiate following the incident.
“His bishops made it clear to him that he had been received into the Church to minister to a parish, and as such, he would have to eschew the provocative political behaviour that characterized his prior career as a TV presenter, blogger, and social media influencer,” a February 2, statement from the church said.
They added that his behaviour at the summit was “not an isolated incident.”
“We believe that those who mimic the Nazi salute, even as a joke or an attempt to troll their opponents, trivialize the horror of the Holocaust and diminish the sacrifice of those who fought against its perpetrators. Such actions are harmful, divisive, and contrary to the tenets of Christian charity.”
Robinson responded with a statement posted to his Facebook page, declaring “For the record, in case it needs saying: I am not a Nazi…”
Robinson stated, “The joke at the end was a mockery of the hysterical ‘liberals’ who called Elon Musk a Nazi for quite clearly showing the audience his heart was with them. Context is key, but sometimes people ignore context to confirm their own prejudices. People see what they want to see.
CLC is a sponsor of the upcoming May 9, 2025 event where Robinson is to be one of two keynote speakers.
“It's not about whether we agree or disagree with everything a speaker has said or done. Fr. Calvin has made clear he is in no way a Nazi,” said Maeve Gainey, Campaign Life Coalition's Youth and Outreach Coordinator, when reached for comment. “We selected him as a speaker because of his expertise on freedom of expression and the censorship of the pro-life movement. We won't engage in cancel culture.”
Robinson uses a website run by failed UKIP candidate Carl Benjamin, also known as Sargon of Akkad, to host a regular live stream. Benjamin has been a far-right influencer for over a decade, starting his career during the harassment campaign ”Gamergate” and the formation of the “alt-right” subculture.
Image shared by Campaign Life Coalition on X of Calvin Robinson presenting at the State of Women and Family in New York City, New York. Source: X
When contacted by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, Calvin Robinson declined to provide a comment for this story.
Robinson continues to make appearances at anti-abortion events, including the State of Women and Family conference taking place in New York City.
“While Calvin Robinson can be described as a ‘fiery’ minister, he is certainly no Nazi sympathizer,” CLC Communication’s Director Pete Baklinski told the Canadian Anti-Hate Network when reached for comment. Baklinski reiterated much of Robinson’s own Facebook statement following the event, adding that “his intent through this gesture was strictly a play on Musk’s own ‘my heart goes out to you’ gesture and can only be disingenuously interpreted as anything else.”
“As Christians, we hold deep respect and affection for the Jewish people”, stated Balinski, “honouring them as our elder brothers and sisters in faith and recognizing the shared spiritual heritage that unites us. We are deeply saddened and troubled by the recent acts of antisemitism seen in Canadian cities, and we stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters against all forms of hatred and discrimination.”
This article was updated to clarify that the Anglican Catholic Church is a separate entity, not recognized by the Anglican Communion.
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