Curious students and chanting counter-demonstrators crowded the center of SRJC’s Santa Rosa campus Oct. 11 when controversial anti-abortion group “Project Truth” brought graphic photos and controversial messages to incite heated debates and discussion.
Project Truth travels to colleges throughout Northern and Central California to inform campus communities about abortion and to try and engage in discussion with students. Many students disagree with the group’s methods, primarily the graphic, blown-up photos of dead and mutilated fetuses.
“Our bodies! Our choice!” protesters chanted at the demonstrators to make their voices and opinions heard.
“I think that women should have the right to choose and that safe sex should be promoted,” said Brianna McGuire, an SRJC student participating in the counter-demonstration. “They can’t go around saying that they are anti-abortion and also anti-birth control. Then we’re going to have a bunch of troubled youth and then have to cut social programs.”
The organizers of Project Truth handed out informational pamphlets and flyers to students, and talked to people about their motives and beliefs. “This is an educational institution, correct?” said Bud, a leader of the project who chose to withhold his last name to protect himself from potential threats. “This is an educational display that shows the real photographic pictures of what babies are in the womb. Abortion is an act of violence that kills an innocent human being.”
However, some students and faculty members disagreed with the group’s method of engaging students, saying the group tries to invoke violence, then files lawsuits against the college members they visit. The anti-abortion group, “Survivors,” employs the same shock-and-awe tactics while traveling to campuses, and has successfully sued Chaffey College for $225,000 and Cypress College for an undisclosed amount.
“It’s the JC that should be suing them for both the thousands of dollars of our staff time involved, and the emotional distress inflicted on our students, in particular our female students,” said Rhonda Findling, a counselor at SRJC. “I heard from the head of Student Health, Susan Quinn, that the Student Ambassadors out in the quad were having to deal with upset students.”
The event continued at SRJC for two days, and members of the counter-protest stayed to voice their opinions, including SRJC student Ashley Fike.
“I think that they should keep their laws off my vagina,” Fike said.”It’s the woman’s choice, not theirs.”