Students For Life's Security Assaults Protesters, Then Claims Victim

Students For Life is a national organization for directing students to act against access to abortion. Their headquarters are in Fredericksburg, Virginia and the organization is no small potatoes. According to InfluenceWatch, the organization had over 11 million dollars in revenue in 2020. Students For Life has ties to some of the biggest names in conservative lobbying like Leonard Leo who sits on their board.

Students For Life is currently on a tour with their President, Kristan Hawkins. Hawkins is a 39-year old who frequents cable news and boasts about being the first person to announce the overturning of Roe (although that honor actually belongs to an unknown clerk at the Supreme Court.)

The videos of Students For Life holding speaking events seems cruel. Hawkins takes questions from young people who are upset about the overturning of Roe v. Wade and Hawkins speaks down to them, often demeaning them in some way or another. These videos can be found on the Students For Life YouTube page with names like “Pro-Choicer Defeated By Simple Logic.” It’s giving 2014 Ben Shapiro vibes. The name of their tour is “Lies Pro-Choicers Believe.”

I decided to attend the Students For Life event at the VCU Commons in Richmond. When I arrived at the auditorium styled room which was sized for about 100 people, it was mostly empty. I could hear the people against abortion access sneer at the people entering with N95 masks on. It was plain to see that this is an event designed to dehumanize those that support access to abortion. However, this event would quickly turn into something that the Students For Life could not control.

As more people began to come inside the room, it appeared that the room was nearly full, with a vast majority of them who came to protest Students For Life. VCU student Autumn Walser stepped up to the podium and spoke up “hello pro-lifers.” A brief chuckle came from the audience and then came a roar of protests from the audience. “NAZIS GO HOME” chants came from the audience.

One protester got in the face of Hawkins with a megaphone. This caused the security for Students For Life to forcefully remove the protester from the room. I followed them out to the hallway, the protest saying “I never assaulted anyone” and then walking away only to detained and then arrested by VCU Police. From where I was sitting at the time, I did not see that protester touch anyone. The only person I saw make physical contact was the security guard for Students For Life.

While I was watching the VCU Police arrest that protester, Hawkins stepped into the hallway and complained to the police. “Are you going to remove them?” she told an officer. Chants continue from those that support abortion access. I had been out in the hallway for 20 minutes and the audience did not let up. VCU Police entered the room and chants from the audience “I smell bacon.”

After about a half hour, VCU Police declare the event as over and that everyone should leave. The protesters immediately chant “They Leave First.” which results in no one leaving the room.

A few minutes later, a security guard walks towards a protester standing with a pro-choice sign and pushes her to the ground. Several other protesters see that assault and that same security is guard continues to push two more protesters, even lunging towards the head of the first person that he pushed. Right behind was a VCU Police officer to assist that Students For Life security. The security guard claims he was being blocked while collecting cameras, but my footage tells a different story.

Shortly afterwards, everyone actually leaves the room. The victims of the assault stuck around to give report while Students For Life went to a conference room across the hall. They seemed to be showing footage to the VCU Police (which is not a campus private security, they are a full police force.) I stick around to provide the video of the assault.

Meanwhile on the social media for Students For Life, they begin crafting their narrative. While they were shout down by protesters, they claim that were the ones assaulted. Since I spent 20 minutes out in the hallway, I can’t say that I saw everything. However none of the video they provide shows them being assaulted. Instead the video they show has one of the security guard picking grab a protester from behind and picking them up. This is the second protester that was assaulted by security from Students For Life. After being pushed out of the way, a second security guard grabs the protester from behind and drags them out of the room.

While this situation will play out in court, it remains unseen who will have charges from this. While Students For Life is a multimillion dollar organization with ties to powerful lawyers, the protesters are meek and do not have much in terms of systemic power. One thing I am confident in saying, the security for Students For Life was solely responsible for the violence during the event and Students For Life are being dishonest in claiming that they are the victims.