Pro-abortion protests erupt on college campuses after SCOTUS leak
As pro-abortion activists protest outside the Supreme Court and in major US cities, college students nationwide are also protesting on campus.
Student groups from at least nine major universities have organized events in response to the leaked Supreme Court majority opinion.
As pro-abortion activists protest outside the Supreme Court and in major US cities, college students nationwide are also protesting on campus.
Protests come in reaction to a leaked draft majority opinion published by Politico on May 2, revealing that SCOTUS is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Student groups from at least nine major universities have organized events in response to the decision.
Princeton University
Princeton Mutual Aid hosted an “Abortion is a Right” protest on May 4, and Princeton Graduate Student Union called on its members and other labor unions to show up.
Some pics from today’s march!❤️💜 Shout out to everyone who was there (except the “pro-life” counter-protesters).
Free, accessible abortions for all!! pic.twitter.com/IS2kLDYF34— Princeton Mutual Aid (@PrincetonAid) May 5, 2022
On Instagram, Princeton Mutual Aid wrote, “We aim to make our voices heard, share our collective rage, *and* build networks of solidarity and power,” and went on to state that “Abortion is a fundamental right. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is a labor issue. Abortion impacts people of all identities, especially historically marginalized identities. People of all genders need and have abortions.”
Princeton Pro-Life showed up to counter-protest, a move Princeton Mutual Aid did not appreciate.
“Shout out to everyone who was there (except the ‘pro-life’ counter-protesters),” the group wrote on Twitter.
Stanford University
At Stanford, nearly 200 students showed up to a May 3 protest in support of Planned Parenthood, the Stanford Daily reports. Law students also held their own pro-abortion rally.
Stanford College Republicans chalked pro-life messages on campus the same day. The writing was allegedly washed away by pro-abortion students on campus.
In a video shared by the group, one compared pro-life messages to shouting fire in a crowded theater.
Here is the clip with the leftist who said chalking pro-life messages was akin to shouting fire in a crowded theater. Can’t make this stuff up. pic.twitter.com/fwyJFsQih2
— Stanford College Republicans (@Stanford_GOP) May 3, 2022
“There’s a difference between freedom of speech and actually harming individuals,” the individual said as he erased the messages.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Multiple student groups at Madison organized a protest for abortion rights at the state capital building May 3, The College Fix reported.
The protest continued at the univresity’s Memorial Library following speeches at the capital.
Co-sponsors included International Marxist Tendency, Madison Socialist Alternative, and Young Democratic Socialists of America.
Madison Socialist Alternative wrote on its Instagram account that “thousands” came to the event.
“As always, the university supports the rights of free speech and assembly,” university spokesman John Lucas told Campus Reform.
University of Minnesota
Hundreds of University of Minnesota students assembled on May 4 to protest the purported SCOTUS decision.
The group then reportedly moved from campus to protest in front of Senator Klobuchar’s office.
Protests continue at the University of Minnesota after a leaked draft SCOTUS majority opinion indicating an overturning of Roe v. Wade #SupremeCourt pic.twitter.com/SN040IkYTt
— Andrew Mercado (@TheGuruMerc) May 4, 2022
The event was organized by Students for a Democratic Society at UMN, university public relations told Campus Reform.
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati YDSA co-sponsored a “Defend Abortion & LGBTQ+ Rights” rally at the Hamilton County Courthouse with DSA Cincy, United We Stand Cincinnati, and Socialist Alternative Cincinnati.
Hundreds took to the streets today in Cincinnati to defend abortion & LGBTQ+ rights. We urgently need to continue building this movement by organizing student walkouts & other actions in order to win pic.twitter.com/iDOfJ1HL5O
— Socialist Alternative - Cincinnati (@SaCincinnati) May 5, 2022
The group tweeted a graphic that read “DEFEND ABORTION & LGBTQ+ RIGHTS.”
The University of Texas at Austin
University Democrats at UT Austin gathered to protest in favor of abortion.
“Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is a fundamental right. Kindly fuck off SCOTUS,” the group wrote on Twitter.
Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is a fundamental right. Kindly fuck off SCOTUS. pic.twitter.com/KV7nzIYsuN
— University Democrats (@UDems) May 4, 2022
The protest was “hosted by Planned Parenthood and other Reproductive Rights organizations,” University Democrats told Campus Reform in a statement.
Harvard University
Pro-life and pro-choice students held simultaneous rallies at Harvard University on May 4th, Boston 25 News reports.
Students of both sides “peacefully voiced their opinions,” according to the report.
Videos posted on social media show the Harvard Right to Life group did receive some insults and pushback.
Insults are being thrown at the pro life crowd. They seem pretty joyful though. pic.twitter.com/NAQ7xtoczd
— Joe Bukuras (@JoeBukuras) May 4, 2022
Harvard Right to Life’s goal in counter-protesting was to share its message of “the dignity of life from conception to natural death,” the group told Campus Reform.
“We heard about the protests happening and decide to counterprotest to make the pro-life voice known on campus,” the group said said.
Yale University
Students at Yale University reportedly marched from the Sterling Memorial Library to the New Haven Green in protest Tuesday evening.
“This is what community looks like. This is what resistance looks like,” the crowd chanted in a video.
NOW: “My body, my choice”. Yale students march to New Haven Green protesting the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade pic.twitter.com/ixdXA3SZsK
— Mike Masciadrelli (@masciadrelliTV) May 3, 2022
Yale Law School students reportedly protested by chalking statements including “We are the law not your f*cking court” and “law is violence,” according to images posted on Twitter by a Washington Free Beacon reporter.
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The Survivor’s Justice Coalition at UMass organized a protest on May 3rd at 5 pm outside the Worcester Dining Hall.
“Overturning Roe V. Wade is an attack on women’s (and anyone with a uterus) rights for everyone living in the U.S., regardless of whether your home state would ban abortion,” the group wrote in an Instagram post.
“Thank you guys for coming out and showing your support. This is a really f*****g serious issue and we’re all scared to death,” the Daily Collegian reported one student as saying. “Thank you guys for being cooperative with our organizing.”
“Our goal was to show solidarity with the people that would be affected by the overturn of roe v wade & to be part of creating pressure for the supreme court to change their proposed decision,” the Survivor’s Justice Coalition told Campus Reform.
Campus Reform reached out to every university and group mentioned; this article will be updated accordingly.
