Canadian Universities are infamous for not allowing pro-life clubs on campus and treating pro-life students unfairly.In 2007, the student union at Memorial University of Newfoundland voted to deny a pro-life group official status on campus and the funding and official campus resources that are made available to other groups.
And in 2013, students applying to form a pro-life club were denied at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario were rejected by the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA) on grounds that such a club would be ‘exclusive’.
Instead of being granted approval, the group received an email from the TCSA Club & Group Coordinator informing them that campaigning for pro-life or pro-choice is not allowed on campus.
Now, at the University of Victoria, a pro-life group called Youth Protecting Youth has been attacked. The group was participating in the university’s Club’s days event when two women snatched their fetal models and dumped litter on their table. The club was able to recover the models, but that night the vandals snuck into closed clubs room and dumped more litter on their tables and stole their fetal models.
The club members spoke with campus security and filed a police report with local authorities. They also demanded that the University of Victoria Student Society (UVSS) formally condemn the actions of the vandals. Thankfully, UVSS has agreed to issue a statement.
Adriam Canagasuriam, the co-president of the club said, “This kind of behavior calls into question whether the University of Victoria is an environment where people can express their opinions and beliefs without such disrespectful opposition. Other clubs and the student body need to be reminded that this kind of criminal behavior has no place on a Canadian university campus.”
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The Western Campus Coordinator for National Campus Life Network, Anastasia Pearse, also commented on the incident. “In previous years the UVSS has attempted to ban and censure the club and was sued by the club in 2010. It’s reassuring to see that student society representatives were helpful and apologetic in the wake of this incident and we look forward to a strong statement from the UVSS condemning this theft and vandalism.”
Despite the attack, pro-life students continue to share the truth about abortion at their university, and they hope that their fetal models will be recovered. They also hope that students who disagree with their message will learn to voice their disagreement in a mature, respectful manner.
