OUTRAGE: FOOTAGE SHOWS PRO-ABORT STUDENTS SHOUTING DOWN PRO-LIFE PRESENTER
By Patrick B. Craine
Lifesite
Thursday October 8, 2009
The pro-abortion protesters, two of whom were arrested, now say they
"feel their right to assemble has been violated."
MONTREAL, Quebec, October 8, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A pro-life
presentation at McGill University erupted in chaos Tuesday after a
mob of pro-abortion students were allowed to silence the pro-life
message while university officials made meek attempts to intervene
until the designated time ran out.
Ironically, following the event the pro-abortion protesters complained
that their ‘right to assemble’ was violated.
The videotaped presentation, entitled ‘Echoes of the Holocaust,’
was given by the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Reform’s Jose Ruba
and hosted by McGill University’s Choose Life club. The talk aimed to
draw a parallel between past genocidal atrocities and abortion. The
entire ordeal is now available on YouTube.
As Ruba began to speak, a woman in the audience stood up and told
him that he was not welcome. A group then began banging on desks and
shouting, "Please go! Please go!"
After Ruba explained to the protesters that he would like to hear their
side of the debate, one of them shot back, "It’s not a debate!" Another
told Ruba to "f**k off!" and another said, "We don’t need hate speech
at our university."
Ruba began displaying images on the screen, prompting the mob to take
over the front of the room and block them. Smiling and laughing as they
prevented Ruba from speaking, they made noise in a variety of ways,
such as singing children’s songs and telling jokes. At one point,
they even sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to abortion, in English and French.
Security asked the protesters to be quiet or leave, but when the
protesters refused, security backed off. They intervened occasionally
as protesters stood on tables, grabbed at Ruba’s written materials,
or fiddled with equipment.
The police eventually arrived (see video 8 of 19), and after speaking
wit e students, the officer gave them five minutes to stand down or
leave. Two were arrested and the rest joined the audience, mostly
gathering to one side.
Ruba was able to deliver the first thirty minutes of his presentation,
but the mob stood and continued yelling at him as he made every point.
When the designated time ran out, Choose Life founder and president
Natalie Fohl ended the event. Ruba had been able to discuss past
genocides such as the Holocaust, and those in Armenia and Cambodia, but
had not had the opportunity yet to draw the connection with abortion.
Despite the two arrests, CTV reports that the two protesters were
released and no charges were laid. In fact, the protesters have
complained that their rights were infringed by police having been
called to break up the protest. According to Student Society of
McGill University’s (SSMU) Equity Commissioner Jonathan Hann, "They
feel their right to assemble has been violated, and they were treated
unjustly and unfairly because of it," reports the McGill Daily,
The SSMU passed a motion last week by a vote of 25-2-2 to censure the
event, seek its cancellation by the university, and refuse funding
to Choose Life should the group proceed despite the censure.
The SSMU executive issued an open letter yesterday in reaction to
Tuesday night’s presentation, condemning the university for allowing
the event to happen despite SSMU’s censure.
"Vulnerable students tried to communicate their concerns to the
University through the available channels: the SSMU executive, SSMU
Council, AUS [Arts Undergraduate Society] Council, the McGill Tribune,
and The McGill Daily," it reads. "There were no other avenues through
which to stop this event, which they deemed as victimizing, offensive,
and stifling of educated debate, from happening."
"Furthermore it is unfair to expect these student protesters
to calmly watch a presentation and engage with a speaker when
such a presentation would make them feel violated, demonized, and
silenced," they continued. "This event crea t and should not have
been permitted. It is possibly most disappointing that when students
peacefully engaged in a public response to this hostile environment,
they were removed through a police intervention."
Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson, who had
defended Choose Life’s right to have Ruba speak, stood his ground,
insisting that the university "want[s] to foster debate," reports
McGill Daily. "We do not want to restrict the expression of ideas,"
he said. "As I said to SSMU when I was asked to intervene and cancel
the event, I said ‘Look, debate free of constraint is important
as long as the discourse remains civil, does not violate a law,
or McGill’s code of conduct and disciplinary procedures’."
"[The event] was scheduled in a room that was not a public space
[and] not in an open public area," he continued. "The publicity of
the event advised individuals of the nature of the graphic imagery,
and the graphic imagery was confined to the room. So in that sense,
I felt the event was an appropriate event."
The SSMU is hosting a ‘Controversial Events Townhall’ meeting with
Mendelson this evening. It will be an open forum in which students
will discuss the question: "How should the SSMU and McGill decide
what events should and should not be allowed in the Shatner Building
and on campus?"