If the impact of last semester’s Make Abortion Illegal Again Campus Tour was any indication of how this spring’s tour would fare, we knew we were in for a successful campaign. However, no Kristan Hawkins tour season is complete without its challenges. We faced school approval issues, free speech violations, and, of course, angry students. 

As a continuation of fall 2024’s Make Abortion Illegal Again Campus Tour with SFLA President Kristan Hawkins, we took our “triggering” tour to the west, where laws protecting preborn lives are virtually nonexistent.   

READ: Just in Time for the Holidays! Kristan Hawkins’ Most Viral Moments from Her “Make Abortion Illegal Again” Campus Tour   

University of Washington   

First up was the University of Washington (UW) on February 11th. Hawkins drew a heavily pro-life crowd for her speech. She shared her expertise with young pro-life advocates and encouraged them to go out and make a difference across their campus. She also spoke to “personally pro-life” Christians, explaining that all children are made in the image of God, and as Christians we are called to protect all children, not just our own. 

University of California – Berkeley  

Next, Hawkins went to the University of California, Berkeley (UC-Berkeley) for a tabling event on February 19th. The event brought in a mixed crowd of abortion supporters and pro-life students. While some students showed support for Hawkins’ initiative to make abortion illegal nationwide, others opposed her position and debated her. 

During one conversation on campus, a student interrupted Hawkins and even invaded her personal space, saying “My Body, My Choice” as he aggressively rubbed her.   

So much for “tolerance.”  

University of California – Davis  

Then, Hawkins packed her bags and headed to the University of California – Davis (UC-Davis) on February 20th for the first combined tabling and speech stop! The tabling created productive conversations with a few pro-choice students questioning their stance. In the evening, the speech brought in a crowd of over 65. The Q&A went on for over an hour, where Hawkins defeated the most challenging questions while satisfying the pro-life students hungry to learn more and defend their pro-life beliefs.   

University of Pittsburgh  

After three successful stops on the West Coast, it was time to fly to the other side of the country. That’s when free speech issues started to take over. Our team faced many challenges in getting approval for the fourth tour stop at the University of Pittsburgh (UPitt).  Although we had just visited this school last year, the school’s administration put new restrictions on filming, making it much more difficult for us to practice our free speech rights. The cherry on top: they told us about these new policies less than 24 hours before the event.   

The school also made us put up bike racks around the event for “safety,” although all that did was deter students from engaging with us. The campus police and school administration forced our staffers and students to set up these barricades, including one who was pregnant, while they stood by and watched. But even this didn’t stop us from reaching students. We still had great conversations and engagement from many students, curious to learn more and engage in civil discussion.   

Johns Hopkins University  

Next, Hawkins visited Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Maryland for a tabling and speech event. This was the most challenging school administration we had to deal with the whole semester. 

The original plan was to go to Duquesne University (DUQ) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. However, the school would only give Hawkins a room that would seat 30 people, clearly too small for the crowds her tour brings in.  

So, we pivoted to JHU, where we encountered even more problems. Administrators tried denying us filming permission on campus, even though it is against school policy. Not only that, but they didn’t tell us we couldn’t film until less than 48 hours before the tour stop—and as part of our normal protocols, Hawkins only speaks if we’re also able to film the speech. Despite pushback from SFLA staff, the school gave no update on whether or not we could film, forcing us to move our tabling location off campus. After the tabling event concluded, we still didn’t know if the school would allow Hawkins to speak. Finally, less than one hour before the scheduled speech, the school reinstated our permission to film. 

When we arrived for the speech, pro-choice students greeted us with a protest, but their protests and school delays didn’t stop us from putting on a great event.

Even with the last-minute approval, over 50 individuals, including school administrators, were present. One administrator even called Hawkins “disingenuous” before storming out of the room.   

George Washington University  

Next, for the first time, we visited George Washington University (GW) in Washington, D.C. This tour stop posed similar difficulties to Johns Hopkins University, with school administrators and pro-abortion students presenting obstacles. Even with much advanced notice, the school did not approve the tabling event until the week of.

The pro-abortion group, GW RAGE, organized a boycott and encouraged students to tear down Hawkins’ speaking tour flyers. During their boycott, they signed students up to become “abortion doulas,” a service the group offers in which “doulas” pick up students in a creepy van and help them kill their preborn children. Their little demonstration only proved Hawkins’ point: abortion radicals support violent actions against the preborn AND vulnerable women. 

University of Houston  

For the final stop of the Make Abortion Illegal Again Tour, Hawkins visited the University of Houston (UH). Once tabling started, the action ramped up quickly as a student walking by started shouting “rapist baby support” repeatedly. After about an hour of heated conversations, pro-abortion students came out to protest by passing out free Plan B and condoms.

They all talked until Hawkins tried to engage with them, at which point they cowardly backed down. The campus was so lively that Hawkins’ tabling event lasted two hours longer than scheduled! It was a great way to finish her spring 2025 campus tour.   

While it can be easy to focus on campuses’ resistance to the pro-life message, Hawkins also engaged with lots of students nationwide who were eager to have a civil discussion, learn more, and change their minds.   

We can’t wait to see what Fall 2025 holds!  

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