On Saturday, April 5th, Students for Life of America (SFLA) campus leaders from local Florida schools and a handful of Students for Life team members, including Lydia Taylor Davis, attended the annual Florida Pro-Life March in Tallahassee. Florida is a turbulent state for abortion politics, having been the first state to decisively stave off one of the radical abortion amendments plaguing multiple other states. Our team and students are always prepared to handle opposition, but Florida’s abortion supporters who descended upon this year’s March proved particularly rowdy. 

SFLA’s Lydia Taylor Davis shared:

“Our team’s morning began with peaceful tabling at a nearby park, where we distributed resources and handed out Students for Life materials. At noon, hundreds of pro-lifers started marching to the Capitol. I led the march alongside our student leaders, chanting phrases such as ‘Let their hearts beat,’ ‘Pro-life is pro-women,’ and ‘Pro-choice is a lie, babies never choose to die.’

When we arrived at the Capitol, we were met by a large crowd of pro-abortion protesters. Thankfully, the police protected our designated space on the steps of the Capitol from being overwhelmed by Antifa protesters, who carried signs such as ‘Punch Nazis.’

The abortion supporters attempted to disrupt us by blaring sirens, booing during my speech, and shouting at us. However, the police kept them at bay. During my speech, I emphasized how we must respond to the backlash from the pro-abortion movement with love and courage. I discussed how the abortion industry deceives our youth and how Florida must be a beacon of truth, exposing how abortion is anti-woman and ends the lives of innocent children. I urged the audience not to settle for merely defeating Amendment 4, but to continue fighting for the protection of Life from conception.

My speech further angered the aggressive pro-abortion crowd. Afterward, as I tried to walk through the mob—by then fully surrounding our rally—several protesters physically blocked my path, using their bodies as barriers and refusing to let me pass. Fortunately, the police intervened and allowed me through.

While making my way through the mob, protesters shoved signs in my face, cursed at me, and engaged in debates. One conversation began when a pro-abortion woman saw my ‘Defund Planned Parenthood‘ sign and said, ‘I love Planned Parenthood.’ I replied, ‘They kill innocent women and children.’ She responded, ‘That’s fine.’

With the help of police officers, I returned safely to the steps of the Capitol. The rest of the speakers finished, but we were unable to leave immediately, as the mob had become more intense and unsafe for us to get through on our own. The police had to escort all of us back to the park.

As we packed up our equipment, abortion supporters attempted to seize control of the steps, rushing into our space. Our technology and speakers were in the middle of the mob, and we struggled to remove everything safely. Some of our stronger male students, along with the March leaders and myself, went back into the crowd to retrieve our equipment before the steps were fully overtaken.

Police officers then escorted us back to the park while I led several more pro-life chants with our student leaders. Pro-choice protesters angrily yelled at us. Nearby witnesses saw our group chanting ‘Pro-life is pro-love,’ while abortion supporters responded by flipping us off and shouting at us. Afterward, several pro-lifers approached me, expressing that they were encouraged by the March and inspired to continue fighting for Life, even in the face of intense backlash!”

The tendency of abortion supporters to act this way, displaying aggression and disinterest in having a civil dialogue, has become a disappointing norm at events nationwide. Fortunately, the momentum is very much on the side of LIFE, despite the other side’s best efforts to keep us quiet by intimidating us (or by literally stealing our sound equipment). Our team and students in Florida look forward to finishing the school year strong, no matter the challenges!

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