Incidents of harassment, assault and vandalisation directed at pro-life student groups on campuses in the United States continues, as two more universities see “shocking” instances of abuse.
At Saint Louis University in Missouri, a pro-life memorial created by Saint Louis University Students for Life was vandalised. The memorial features 1,000 flags stuck into the ground in the shape of a cross, commemorating unborn babies aborted across the United States.
Pro-abortion students were filmed pulling up the small flags and directing abuse at members of Saint Louis University Students for Life.
One member was approached by a female student shouting obscenities, telling him that she hoped he went to hell. Attempting to destroy the memorial, she shouted: “You can see my pictures, you can see how pretty I am, how good of a life I have. And what do you have?”
Calling the pro-life male student a “loser,” she insisted that she would “keep [on] killing babies”.
In another incident, several pro-life students were accosted at the University of Texas in San Antonio after establishing an anti-abortion display on campus.
A small but disruptive number of students attempted to obstruct the display and shouted insults. One pro-life student was even hit in the face, while others were later subjected to abuse online.
These incidents follow a similar trend of harassment in the UK, where pro-life student initiatives have suffered intimidation and even death threats, which SPUC has vigorously condemned.
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “The increase in attacks on pro-life students, stalls and other anti-abortion initiatives on campuses in recent months, on both sides of the Atlantic, is shocking.
“Those who engage in such disgusting acts of intimidation and abuse must be held accountable by universities. Students of all opinions must be protected.
“Meanwhile, SPUC commends peaceful pro-life students everywhere who, every day, in increasingly difficult circumstances, seek to communicate and uphold the pro-life message.”
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