Members of a pro-life organization protested on the University of Wisconsin campus Wednesday, brandishing graphic photographs and taking questions from passersby.
Center for Bio-Ethical Reform members advocated for ending abortion in UW’s Library Mall throughout the day. CBR Site Manager Darius Hardwick said the protest occurred from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and will take place again on Thursday. He said the project has been around for 14 years and visits hundreds of universities around the country.
CBR began 14 years ago and aims to educate individuals about how aborted fetuses are managed, according to Hardwick. He added CBR works to humanize pre-born children and prove that abortion is an act of violence.
Hardwick asserted most people do not care or want to know the true facts about abortion, because the truth is often inconvenient to their lifestyle, political views and world views.
“There’s a lot of ignorance about pre-natal development and an equal amount of denial,” Hardwick said.
Several Madison Police officers supervised the event throughout the day. According to MPD Lt. David McCaw, CBR is not a Madison-based organization and after further research that revealed group volunteers have been assaulted, he suggested MPD supervise the event.
Hardwick said CBR’s protests have only experienced violence a handful of times. He said their graphic displays are meant to bother people, but not spark violence.
McCaw reported no violent incidents occurred during Wednesday’s protests, though several individuals expressed their concern with the organization and inquired about permitting issues in Library Mall.
Protest groups are generally required to secure a permit from the city to protest on Library Mall. McCaw confirmed the group has obtained a permit prior to its protest.
Hardwick said the protests have been especially peaceful, considering UW is a very liberal campus with a student body that generates considerable debate about the contentious issue.
“This is a great campus and we’re grateful to be here,” CBR Director Gregg Cunningham said.
CBR is forcing a debate that otherwise does not normally come up among students and teaches students facts about abortion they are not learning in the classroom, Cunningham said.
Members of CBR notified the gender and women’s studies department at UW of the protests and encouraged them to debate with the group Thursday, Cunningham said.
“On other campuses this might be shocking, but this is Madison and I don’t know if anything is shocking here,” McCaw said.
