The University of Calgary Campus Pro-Life club has attracted attention for their exhibit in the Students’ Union display case earlier this week, as well as their Genocide Awareness Project display in the quad.
The SU put up a sign saying that the views expressed in the display case were of the CPL club and not representative of the SU. There were also signs in protest taped to the display, which CPL chose to leave up.
“Today in Canada pre-born human beings aren’t considered persons under the law,” said CPL president Alanna Campbell.
GAP portrays quotations and graphic images of genocide victims from Rwanda, the Holocaust and aborted fetuses.
“We hope that it will start discussion and help people recognize when we decide a group of human beings isn’t a person, then terrible things have happened, and will continue to happen until we as society learn that lesson,” said Campbell.
U of C Jewish Chaplain Oren Steinitz said he finds equating abortion to the Holocaust offensive.
“The reference to the Holocaust is inappropriate mainly on the level that the Holocaust was deliberate bureaucracy designated for the destruction of human beings,” Steinitz said. “I don’t see any possible way to equate it to a woman who has undergone rape and cannot handle the idea of having the baby.”
The MacEwan Student Centre display featured a pile of 290 baby shoes, which the club said represented the approximately 290 abortions every day in Canada. The display was up for a week. Every club can use the display space how they choose for one week each semester.
SU president Lauren Webber said CPL went through the university for permission to set up in the quad and was granted an allowance to do so with a list of terms and conditions. Webber said on Tuesday she had been notified that CPL had not abided by all those terms and conditions.
“I’ve had many complaints which is extremely concerning, as we represent those students too,” Webber said.
The displays are monitored by several Campus Security personnel.
“They were granted approval to use that space under certain conditions, one of which is to have their signs inward, so they’re not living up to those particular conditions,” said Campus Security director Lanny Fritz.
Fritz explained that security is on site to monitor the event like many others on campus. He added that CPL was paying for extra security to be there.
Along with GAP, the club put up fetal development posters and invited women who have had abortions to talk. The displays garnered mixed reactions.
First-year French student Trevor O’Gorman said he appreciates that the group is able to express themselves, but not in this manner.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s fair to everyone else when a display like this goes up,” said O’Gorman.
Controversy is nothing new to CPL, who have come up against the university in the past.
“A year ago, the university found us guilty of non-academic misconduct for holding GAP, so we’ve appealed that to the Board of Governors and they’ve upheld it, and we’ve planned to fight that in court,” said Campbell.
The SU desanctioned the club last year after they were charged by the university with trespassing. The club was reinstated this fall after the charges were stayed.
CPL set up the placards on Tuesday and Wednesday for their bi-annual protest.
The U of C has repeatedly asked the group to turn their displays inward to give the public the option of viewing them.
“The University of Calgary isn’t opposed to students sharing their views about abortion or other controversial subjects as long as they do so in a respectful manner,” said U of C senior communications manager James Stevenson. “We will be reviewing this further in the months to come.”
Students were generally upset with the display.
“When I finished walking by the display, I went from being really pro-life to extremely pro-choice,” said second-year engineering student Lisa Sebella, who was protesting the display. “How dare these people stand here and tell me what to do with my life, or tell any of these people what to do with their lives, like we’re stupid and can’t make our own decision?”
Other students were more tempered in their reactions.
“I think it’s great that everyone can express their own opinion, I just don’t like it when they’re shoving it down other people’s throats,” said second-year business major Azan Dhanani.