GUEST POST: When the news broke that Vice President Kamala Harris was coming to a campus in my state, the Pro-Life Generation sprang into action immediately to combat her abortion extremism. As the leader of the North Carolina Pro-Life Force and spokesperson for Students for Life of America (SFLA), I organized a pro-life protest against her speaking tour stop at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (North Carolina A&T). Her tour entitled “Fight for Our Freedoms” promotes abortion without limits so we wanted to ask: what about preborn children’s freedom?
What about their own rights — most notably, the right to life?
When a group of pro-life students and I arrived, we were directed by the university police to stand in a “free speech area.” We began writing positive pro-life messages in the area with chalk (such as “human rights begin in the womb,” “pro-life is pro-love,” and “abortion hurts women”), but pro-abortion students just erased them shortly afterwards.
As event attendees began coming by, we spoke with them about why we were there protesting Kamala Harris’ abortion support. We explained how the abortion industry stalks college students like ourselves as 90% of Planned Parenthood facilities are located within five miles of a college campus. As North Carolina A&T is also a historically black university, we also discussed how the black community in particular is targeted by the abortion giant. (Black pro-life groups had been invited as well but weren’t able to make it due to the event timing.)
To read more about this, click HERE to read a Newsweek op-ed by SFLA President Kristan Hawkins and pro-life activist Toni McFadden entitled “Black Preborn Lives Matter—And Americans Must be Allowed to Say So.”
While we were interrupted by many pro-abortion students yelling at us, many in my group had the opportunity for peaceful, meaningful conversations about the issue of abortion.
We spoke with one woman who said she worked for Pro-Choice America, but after we discussed Harris’ views, she agreed the Vice President’s extreme abortion agenda went too far. Another group of students disagreed that human life begins at fertilization (conception) until I brought over a pro-abortion biology professor who acknowledged that was the case. Strangely, she still thought abortion should be an option.
Other genuinely curious students approached us, wanting to hear more about our beliefs and resources. Several minds were changed. One girl shared that she needed pregnancy support, and I was able to connect her and others with SFLA’s initiative Standing With You for resources. Others thanked us for engaging peacefully, telling us they didn’t know pro-lifers cared about women until we talked to them.
Unfortunately, after Harris’ event ended, a large mob surrounded us, and chaos ensued.
They began screaming and cursing, while twerking on us, stealing my bullhorn, and vandalizing our signs with the message “f*ck them kids.” After getting my bullhorn back, I used it to urge the abortion supporters to have a peaceful conversation with us. Instead, they chanted “f*ck them kids,” closing in tighter on our group and whacking our posters around to hit us.
When they shouted “Black Lives Matter,” I told them that pro-lifers agree with them, and that the abortion industry was targeting black lives in the womb. Together, we could protect those black babies — but sadly, this made them even more aggressive.
Finally, the police came through the mob to get us out and to safety. We were forced to leave some of our property behind in the chaos, and the deserted signs were torn up immediately and vandalized further.
Despite the harsh ending to our protest, it was a positive event. Minds were changed, and a pro-life message was sent. Even though the event was a somber reminder of the abortion lobby’s hatred, we were able to be a loving presence for many students we encountered that day. Messages following have included students saying they were inspired to bring light to the abortion issue on their extremely pro-abortion campus.
This is why we can’t be bullied into silence. Speaking up and standing against abortion extremism is our only option when innocent lives are on the line — so get ready to meet more SFLA protestors during your tour, Kamala Harris!
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