“Pro-choice activists are getting agitated because the pro-life movement is winning. Nothing frightens abortion advocates more than peaceful people praying, especially young pro-lifers. We condemn the egging of pro-life students at the recent peaceful protest outside of the new Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Waukegan, but we won’t give up our free speech rights,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America.
WAUKEGAN, IL and FREDERICKSBURG, VA (5-27-2020 — Reacting to the news of two eggings against peaceful pro-life students in Waukegan, Illinois, Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America said: “The violence and vandalism against pro-lifers must stop. In the past several weeks, we have been targeted by violent pro-choice individuals who hate the idea that pro-life people even exist. We are asking the Waukegan police department to hold the pro-choice attackers accountable for their actions.”
Pro-life students, including Students for Life and Pro-Life Action League, were peacefully and safely protesting against a new Planned Parenthood in Waukegan, Illinois on Friday. The new Planned Parenthood facility was secretly built and recently opened.
While peacefully protesting, two groups of pro-choice attackers egged pro-lifers, including members of Crusaders for Life, a pro-life, youth ministry group that is part of St. John Cantius in Chicago and St. Peter Church in Volo, Illinois. The students, many of whom are young, were hit while kneeling in peaceful prayer.
Members of College of Lake County Students for Life and Young Americans for Freedom were egged twice by different groups. One of the Students for Life and YAF leaders, Shawna Weber, was hit twice with eggs by pro-choice attackers screaming “Pro-choice!”, and she fell during the second attack. The group gathered photo evidence and filed a police report.
In a statement, Weber said: “The actions of these counter-protesters were unacceptable. It isn’t popular to be pro-life, and I speak my views on the subject of abortion knowing that there is a good chance I will be verbally and possibly physically attacked for doing so. This just further encourages myself and others to see that there is work to do in promoting respectful and productive public discourse on important topics such as abortion. I will not slowdown my activism and support for the rights of unborn humans.”
Sarah Minnich, the Illinois/Iowa Regional Coordinator for Students for Life, who was on site during the protest, stated: “This violence against pro-life activists who take a stand for innocent human life is unfortunately not uncommon. Most striking, however, is the perseverance and joy of the students involved. Pro-life students are told not to return the anger and violence of pro-abortion activists that react to the pro-life message. These student leaders embody the beauty of life by praying for the perpetrators and continuing to stand up for life.”
An investigation is ongoing, but a trend of violent and ugly attacks against peaceful pro-life speech is escalating. Recently, Chicago Pro-Life Future, the young adult groups of Students for Life, also faced a vandalism while peacefully protesting abortion. You can read about that here.
You can read more about more lewd acts against pro-lifers in Bellingham, Washington at the link here and here. Recently, pro-abortion activist Zoom bombed an SFLA virtual graduation with pornography and Nazi imagery.
You can see a map of vandalisms against pro-life groups here.
For questions or interviews, please contact Kristi Hamrick at khamrick@studentsforlife.org.
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Students for Life of America is the nation’s largest pro-life student organization, with over 1,225 groups in all 50 states.
