A violent group of protesters assaulted three pro-life advocates and shut down a public campus event with Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Hawkins was attempting to give a talk at the school as part of her “Lies Pro-Choicers Believe” Tour on March 29, but a mob of students showed up and began hurling a stream of loud vulgarities and chants. Hawkins had planned to facilitate a public conversation with Turning Point USA contributor Isabel Brown inside a lecture hall at the school, but the commotion drew police to the scene. Officers shut down the meeting.
Some in the crowd held homemade abortion rights signs or Antifa flags, lifting them as they chanted “Fascists go home!” “Nazis go home!” and “[Expletive] pro-lifers.”
“The campus police at VCU [are] shutting down our peaceful assembly because of these fascists right here,” Hawkins said in a YouTube video that panned to the angry crowd. Seconds before, the video captures the pro-choice activists turning violent and security trying to gain control of the situation.
Ahead of the speaking engagement, Students for Life learned of Antifa’s threats circulating on social media and hired security out of concern for Hawkins and Brown. During the uproar, three pro-lifers were injured, including Autumn Walser, president of VCU’s Students for Life chapter.
“While I was recording on my phone, one of the aggressive pro-abortion protesters had to be taken out of the room by our security guard since VCU police were not helping,” Walser told Students for Life. “The protestor was kicking and resisting so aggressively that I ended up getting shoved full force into a table against the wall.”
While emergency responders determined Walser’s injured leg was not broken, Students for Life says they have hired security for Walser for the remainder of the semester. The organization’s leaders have openly expressed frustration with the lack of security and protection of the pro-life group during what should have been a peaceful meeting.
Hawkins tweeted that it took 27 minutes for VCU police to arrive to the heated scene. Instead of forcing the mob to exit, the police escorted the pro-life advocates from the room.
“You leave first!” the protestors cried out, holding their stance.
The pro-lifers injured during the event have pressed charges, and two protestors who aren’t affiliated with VCU have been arrested.
Hawkins wrote in an email to her fellow pro-lifers that the Richmond event was “one of the worst nights I’ve ever witnessed during all my years of traveling to college campuses and telling young people the TRUTH about abortion.”
Morgan Hill / Alamy.com