By Joshua Qualls

jqualls@kykernel.com

UK Feminist Alliance and other students gathered in front of White Hall Classroom Building on Friday morning to counter-protest a planned UK Students for Life of America demonstration.

UK Students for Life pitched an information tent around 10 a.m., setting up anti-abortion Planned Parenthood Project signage with little pink crosses spread across the lawn to signify the amount of fetuses aborted each day. Pro-choice activists quickly popped up at the scene and confronted the organization.

Both groups handed out information cards and pamphlets to passersby as they argued with each other from across the sidewalk. Arguments were civil but tense, and protesters from both sides put cameras in each others’ faces.

Opinion: Biased sources damage Planned Parenthood Project’s credibility

“Some of the signs say Planned Parenthood sells baby parts,” said Ava Vargason, a chemical engineering junior who is a member of UK Feminist Alliance. “That’s based on a video that was produced by a program called Center for Medical Progress that was previously affiliated with Live Action, which was known for doctoring videos.”

Vargason asserted that Live Nation could not conduct the campaign because of the organization’s credibility problems, so it was used by Center for Medical Progress instead.

While promoting the Planned Parenthood Project campaign, UK Students for Life also praised Center for Medical Progress’ undercover videos for exposing “illegal” activity by Planned Parenthood and urged students to consider health risks that some people believe to be associated with abortion.

“We believe … life starts at conception and abortion is killing a child,” said international economics and Spanish junior Claire Jaworski, president of UK Students for Life. “I’m pro-life because I’m a Christian and I believe that everyone deserves human dignity.”

UK Students for Life claimed 94 percent of Planned Parenthood’s pregnancy services were abortions, while UK Feminist Alliance pointed out that abortions only make up 3 percent of Planned Parenthood’s overall services.

International studies freshman Carleigh Scull said it is pointless to attack Planned Parenthood when it does many things other than abortion, and pro-life groups are not telling the whole story. “If Planned Parenthood gets shut down,” she said, “back-alley abortion clinics are going to pop up and women’s lives are going to be in danger.”

UK Feminist Alliance insisted that abortion is one of the safest medical procedures in the U.S. — with a mortality rate, according to the organization’s pamphlet, “almost 15 times lower than live births.”

Jaworski said her mother could have had an abortion in college but chose instead to put the child up for adoption. After following up with the adoption agency many years later, Jaworski and her mother found out the girl was married and had three kids.

“My mom could have chosen abortion but then her (daughter) wouldn’t have been able to have a child and have a family,” she said.

UK Students for Life coordinated the event with other Students for Life chapters throughout the country, and the organization registered permits to hold the demonstration.