Unsafe Space

Pro-life demonstrators have been subjected to violence and vandalism at more than 50 college campuses since September.

Students for Life, the largest youth pro-life organization in the country, has tracked dozens of incidents on college campuses since the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Organizers have seen their displays stolen, destroyed, or vandalized, and some protesters have even been attacked for speaking out against abortion on campus. Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins said that "the pro-abortion fringe [is] turning to violence" at an alarming rate.

"Students speaking up for mothers and their pre-born infants face real opposition to the simple truth that we want to love them both," she said in a statement. "I'm proud of the commitment of our student leaders who take time away from their studies and all the activities available to them on high school, college and university campuses to speak for the least of these."

The group has launched a new website documenting the vandalism incidents from 2012 to 2019 in order to draw attention to the state of free speech on campus. More than 50 displays or protests have been vandalized during the current school year, according to a release. Students for Life also published a Facebook video showing students and faculty members stealing crosses from displays, erasing chalk messages, and threatening protesters.

Terry Schilling, executive director of the American Principles Project, said that intimidation tactics have long been employed on college campuses. Those measures can backfire in the face of resistance. He said the lengths that abortion supporters go to silence peaceful pro-life demonstrations reflect "how powerful the pro-life argument is."

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