Last Friday, March 13, several Roanoke College students rallied together to respond to a pro-life protest conducted just off campus by members of what I understand to be West Salem Baptist Church, though a few Roanoke students did join them for a time. These protesters had a video camera aimed at the campus. The counterprotest drew a crowd of several students, as well as key faculty members such as the Dean of Students and the head of Campus Safety to ensure student actions were safe and legal. Students gathered right in front of the Roanoke College welcome sign, displaying handmade signs in support of pro-choice ideas for over two hours to stand for the cause.
I was in attendance at the protest for most of the duration. I believe in a woman’s right to choose what is best for her body, and I do not believe that any governmental body has the right to take that away. As I stood in solidarity with other students, I felt proud to be a Maroon because of the sense of community among those present. It felt like we were working together for a better future and highlighting the Roanoke College spirit of community and togetherness. Using my First Amendment right in what felt like such a constructive way was an incredible experience for me.
While I was there, I decided to speak to some of my fellow protesters to see what they were thinking and how they felt about the event. Madeleine Whitacre, Class of 2029, was one of the first people to begin protesting, and helped gather lots of other student support. She told me that she had been inspired to protest when she and a few other students were approached by the pro-life crowd, whom she reported to have been touching her car and trying to get her to roll down the windows. She told me it was “really encouraging to see how people came together,” a sentiment I absolutely agree with.
Other students, and even staff members witnessing the scene, shared similar sentiments. Dean Perkins told me she was “proud of students for organizing so quickly,” and members of Student Wellness Services asked me to share that the Health Services Center is open for and very happy to help students wondering about or considering abortion and confirmed that the practice is safe.
In true college student fashion, there were a lot of hilariously snarky comments made amongst the crowd regarding the situation. “It’s so interesting,” I heard one student saying sarcastically to another, “how a decision from the 80’s is still affecting us today.” Another student laughed with her friend, pointing to the “bunch of men over there” with a certain sort of glee.
Despite the lightheartedness of the assembled protestors and supervisors, the message we were trying to convey was not lost. Shouts akin to “Keep your hate off my campus!” and “My body, my choice!” rang out through the lovely spring air throughout the duration of our protesting activities. For several students, myself included, this was their first protest. One student, a current junior, expressed her nervousness about attending her first protest, but added that she was happy she was standing against the pro-life movement because “people like that make [her] angry.”
Regardless of what side of the issue you are on, I believe that the right to protest and protect your First Amendment rights is very important. I think Damien Fellows, Class of 2026, put it well when he said that he “think[s] protesting, and especially counterprotesting, are really important.” I hope that if we face something like this again, we will come together even stronger in true American and Maroon fashion!
Ren Monin
Staff Reporter
