BY MATTHEW BURDITT
When the Canadian Centre for Biological Reform announced their plans to return to Sheridan College after their Sept. 15 protest against abortion, students passing by were not happy with what they saw. Members of the CCBR arrived early Monday afternoon in B Wing to once again spread their pro-life views to students.
As soon as they arrived, students immediately fought back against the group with their own protests. Second-year Visual Creative Arts student, Samantha Morton was among those protesting the visit. As soon as she noticed them, she quickly made herself a sign and set herself alongside the CCBR members.
“I was angered immediately,” said Morton. “They’re telling me what to do with my body. They’re telling women that we do not have a choice.”
The protest went on for around an hour and was met with outrage from students concerned about their methods of spreading their views. Sheridan Student Union began tweeting with the hashtag “#ourcampus.”
https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%23ourcampus
Feel free to join your student leaders in TRC B-wing for peaceful counter-protest. #ourcampus @SSUPresident
— SheridanStudentUnion (@the_ssu) October 17, 2016
@the_ssu hey guys the pro life hate group are back. In front of the print shop. Images are more disturbing #ourcampus
— Emmmmmmmmm (@AssassinSquid) October 17, 2016
If you're at Trafalgar please come and counter-protest the unwelcome group on campus. #ourcampus pic.twitter.com/N8CffXKU0D
— Anders Gatten (@anders_gatten) October 17, 2016
Our Spaces. Our Voice. We share your concerns, Sheridan! Email your questions & concerns to: haveyoursay@sheridancollege.ca #ourcampus
— SheridanStudentUnion (@the_ssu) October 17, 2016
“We are firm believers in our campus being our space and a safe place for students,” said Amelia Sher, awareness coordinator for SSU.
The main concern about the issue is whether the graphic images are too much for students to see. Things got to the point where students took a cloth and sheltered others from the group. Since their first protest last month, students have continued to express discomfort with the presence of CCBR on campus.
“If done correctly, there is a place for them to stand here and speak,” said Morton. “I’d still be here to tell them my thoughts, but they’re here using traumatizing images to get their message across, which isn’t right.”
The CCBR was not worried about the backlash that met with their visit.
“This is just part of our mission,” said Jonathon Van Maren, communications director for the CCBR. “We’re only here to engage the students and talk to them about it and maybe change some minds. We know some are going to get frustrated but we only want to have a discussion.”
Van Maren says his organization plans to continue with their mission without changing their way of doing it, going to campuses across Ontario, spreading their pro-life message.
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Interesting–you use white sheets to block the signs, and you call this peaceful protest? Its more than protest, isn’t it? It is preventing freedom of expression. ARe the students of Sheridan kids who needs to be protected, or adults who can engage in controversial viewpoints?
You say students were not happy with what they saw. Yet they couldn’t see it for the sheets. But for all that, you have a picture of these sheets, and behind it are students in interaction with the protestors–and they don’t look unhappy! Seems your reporting is rather biased.
I like the sign “If it’s not your body it’s not your decision”. That’s completely correct — the baby’s body is not anybody else’s body, so nobody has the right to choose to take his/her life. Funny how the pro-abort people just don’t get how funny they can be!