Written by Jalen X. Marrero and Akari R. Sustache 

The Students for Life of America group at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR-RP), Río Piedras, held an open event on Wednesday, May 7th, to discuss one of the most important and controversial human rights issues of our time: abortion. 

This debate event, titled “Abortion has another face, let’s talk,” followed weeks of rising tension on campus. Just two weeks earlier, during a general student assembly, two of our members—Cristian Garcia and Jan Tousset—voiced concerns about proposed “inclusive” restrooms—which would potentially allow biological men into women’s bathrooms on campus–citing safety issues for women. Instead of sparking respectful discussion, they were ridiculed by faculty members and publicly ostracized by sectors of the student body. 

That moment marked a turning point in how dissenting views are treated at UPR. 

Determined to uphold civil discussion, our group extended formal invitations to several feminist and leftist student organizations to participate in a structured debate on abortion. All declined, some respectfully, but others not so cordially. In response, we shifted our format and organized an open dialogue panel instead that would still allow students to engage freely with the speakers. However, the self-proclaimed advocates of “tolerance” and “inclusion” were not satisfied. 

Rather than exercising their supposed commitment to inclusion and tolerance, the opposition circulated our event flyer across multiple group chats, calling on other students to attend–not to listen or speak, but to disrupt. Moreover, the Feminist Association and the Combative Student Collective (a local radical leftist student organization) made official callings to boycott the event, and, in the most extreme cases, to derail it entirely.  

Thankfully, our spokesman, Jalen, had two left-leaning friends who chose principle over pressure and gave us a heads-up. They shared screenshots from the chats and told us what was being planned. We are deeply grateful to them. They reminded us that disagreement doesn’t have to mean dehumanization, and that integrity can trump ideology. 

Fast-forward to the 7^th of May. What began as a day for peaceful dialogue quickly turned into an atmosphere of hostility. 

Thirty minutes before the event, protestors had already crowded the hallway outside our classroom, chanting slogans and blocking access. Slogans ranged from “You are not pro-life! You are anti-rights!” to literally calling us “murderers” and “fascists.”  Some protestors filmed students attending our event and attempted to verbally and physically intimidate volunteers. Several had no interest in discussion, they came solely to drown us out.  

UPR-RP Student Jan Tousset and panelist Abdiel Contreras were even physically assaulted for recording what was happening outside. One kicked in the head, and another pushed!  

WATCH HERE

We even have video of Tousset’s assault in the link above. In preparation, our team had organized a security detail to maintain order and ensure the safety of all participants. Volunteers stood by the door and calmly denied entry to those attempting to interrupt the event. Despite attempts to provoke conflict, our team maintained its composure and ensured the event proceeded as planned. 

Our members Jalen, along with Cristian, Ian, and Julian, led the security effort. Before the cameras ever started rolling, the team’s discipline and resolve helped prevent chaos from spilling inside. 

Inside, our panel featured three speakers and a moderator. They were Coral Maysonet, a journalism student and member of our directive; Abdiel Contreras, an experienced pro-life activist; and Ana Sofía Santiago, a graduate in biology and founding member of the SFLA group at UPR. Thanks to a functioning sound system and an amazing moderator, Dr. Miguel Marrero, the event carried on even as the noise campaign continued outside. 

READ: NPR Shines a Spotlight on Students for Life of America Free Speech Battle on Campuses in the Second Trump Era

While protestors claim to stand for diversity and dialogue, what happened that day tells another story. They were offered a seat at the table. Instead, they chose mob tactics. 

What happened at UPR-RP is part of a larger pattern we’ve seen at campuses across the country: respectful disagreement becomes dangerous, and students are pressured into silence rather than dialogue. 

We did not back down. We held the event. We created space for students to listen, speak, and think freely. And we will continue to do so no matter how loud the opposition gets.  

It was a resounding victory for conservative students, not just all over our campus but around the island, where conservative voices usually get intimidated and drowned out in seas of radical liberal rhetoric. 

READ: VICTORY: Students for Life of America & Pro-Life Student Stand Up for Free Speech, Forcing Winthrop University to Change Course & Recognize Pro-Life Group 

(The issue has been reported to campus police and is currently under investigation. Come back for future updates.)

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