‘They say no choice, we say pro-choice’: Students protest anti-abortion advocates

Katie Farthing, Managing Editor 

“Fuck Trump, Free Palestine,” “Free our pussies,” “Abortion is a right,” “They say no choice, we say pro-choice” and other chants echoed throughout campus as students filled the VCU Compass around 10 a.m. on Nov. 7 in response to Students for Life of America spokesperson Lydia Taylor Davis’ campus appearance as part of her SFLA tour.

Some students hovered around the pro-life table to engage with Davis, while others lined up outside of James Cabell Branch Library for their own protest. Students held signs reading “Hands off my vagina” and “Can’t be trusted with a choice, but you trust me with a child?”

Responding protestors played music and sang along with participating students as engagement continued outside of Hibbs Hall at the SFLA table. Davis held up a small fetus figurine to “demonstrate” an abortion and defended her anti-abortion stance to a host of students and protestors.

The VCU SFLA student organization reserved the space in cooperation with the interim Campus Expression and Space Utilization Policy, according to an email statement from Michael Porter, VCU’s associate vice president of public relations.

There were around five to 10 police officers and multiple university Division of Student Affairs staff, including Vice President Aaron J. Hart, who were overseeing the students and ensuring pathways through the Compass for those passing by.

Liam Hadley, a second-year nursing student and the president of VCU’s SFLA chapter, said he found the pro-life movement in high school and that being a nurse influences his perspective.

“We know that humans have intrinsic value and that no student, no children are lesser than simply because of how they were conceived or whether they are wanted or not,” Hadley said.

Hadley said the goal of Davis’ appearance was to engage in conversation and dialogue about “abortion violence” with VCU students.

One protestor spit at SFLA’s camera equipment and another stole the group’s flyers before being detained by VCU Police.

The detained protestor is not affiliated with VCU and was charged with larceny and trespassing. They are not allowed back on campus, according to an email statement from Jake Burns, VCU PD’s public information officer.

“Obviously, there has been a larger response that does not want to have conversations,” Hadley said.

Last Tuesday’s election featured many wins and losses for the pro-life movement, according to Hadley.

Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Montana all passed abortion rights amendments. Nevada approved an amendment that will need to be passed again in 2026 that allows for an abortion up to 24 weeks and to save the pregnant person’s life, and New York banned discrimination based on “pregnancy outcomes,” according to the Associated Press.

Missouri established abortion rights in its constitution and undid a near-total abortion ban, one of the most restrictive in the United States, according to the AP.

Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota all struck down abortion rights amendments, according to the AP.

“We keep moving,” Hadley said. “We’ll continue to support women and our goal doesn’t change.”

Zach Sprouse, the Virginia regional coordinator for SFLA, said the group hopes to talk about the negative impacts of abortion for women and change “hearts and minds with peaceful conversation.”

VCU is primarily a left-leaning campus, which encouraged the group to speak at the Compass, according to Sprouse.

“Strictly going to conservative campuses would not really accomplish our goal,” Sprouse said.

SFLA previously came to VCU in the spring of 2023, according to a previous article by The Commonwealth Times.

The group’s last visit resulted in an event shutdown, multiple assaults and ensuing protests demanding an apology from VCU, according to the article.

“We’ve been met with a ton of adversity before at VCU,” Sprouse said. “And so it was very much expected.”

Everest Clauberg, a second-year pre-medical lab science student, held a sign reading “Church/State” with a transgender pride flag attached below. He said he came to the Compass with friends to organize and show support for the pro-choice movement.

Clauberg was raped when he was 14 and said he feels very strongly about the experiences other protesters shared.

“I just wanted to join in and help how I could,” Clauberg said.

Clauberg is trans and said he feels unsafe when conservative organizations come to campus.

“A lot of pro-life ideals also cross over into anti-LGBTQ+ ideals,” Clauberg said. “I support free speech, they can 100% come to campus and speak, but it is scary.”

The election results were “terrifying” but he hopes people remember to “keep community,” Clauberg said.

“This isn’t the end and we can’t just roll over and die,” Clauberg said. “We have to continue talking about what we want and what we need.”

William Spencer, a third-year environmental studies and sociology student, said he was upset with the election results, but that community organization is still important.

“Things obviously went wrong,” Spencer said. “It’s pretty depressing, but at the same time, I’m glad people are turning out.”

Spencer said he noticed more new people than just the regulars he typically sees at Palestine or environmental justice protests on campus. He is hopeful about the next generation of young students becoming involved in civil disobedience.

“Trans rights are human rights. Free Palestine. Make abortion legal,” Spencer said.

The afternoon protests ended shortly before 2 p.m., though Davis spoke at the Student Commons Salon 1 at 6 p.m. The session was a Q&A and speech.

There were multiple police officers and Division of Student Affairs staff present during the event.

Students filled the salon to capacity after 40 minutes of the session. At least five people were in line to ask Davis a question throughout the entire event.

Students were very responsive throughout the Q&A, often booing, laughing or loudly disagreeing with Davis’ statements.

Theodosia Cirtain, a first-year international studies student, protested outside of the library earlier that day after seeing someone holding a sign reading “Fuck Donald Trump” on Nov. 6. That student was alone and Cirtain was motivated by their roommate to join them in protest the next day.

Cirtain held a sign reading “I’m glad I miscarried. I was 14.” At the Q&A, they claimed Davis laughed at their sign, though Davis denied doing so.

Davis began her speech at around 8:20 p.m., by then, most students had left and it was almost two and a half hours after the event began. Davis had to shorten her speech to fit into 10 minutes.

“We are sugarcoating it,” Davis said at the event. “It is violence.”

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article did not include “They say no choice, we say pro-choice.”