The Tennessee based "Center for Bio-Ethical Reform" set up a huge anti-abortion display in the center of Radford University on Wednesday and Thursday. The same group also demonstrated near Liberty University earlier this week.
The pro-life group used graphic photos of what an aborted fetus might look like to illustrate their anti-abortion message. The display also compared abortion to genocide.
Some of Radford's students who disagreed with the images and the message formed a counter, pro-choice rally.
The student government also got involved, and it too, took a stand against the anti-abortion demonstration.
"I had countless people come up to me, email me, come to our office and tell me they were afraid to walk across campus," said student government association vice president Justin Blankenship. "When students are paying tuition here and they're afraid to walk across campus, something is wrong.
"We don't oppose free speech," said Blankenship. "We are in every way for free speech. But when free speech turns to hate speech, we are not ok with that."
"The pictures are appalling. People are trying to eat here and they have to look at that," said Radford senior Lindsey Stanesa. "It's really insulting to a lot of people."
"I heard that what they did [the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform] was come on college campuses, put this stuff up and they really want to upset people because they want people to graffiti it or put their stuff away so they can sue the university and get money. That's what I've heard," said RU senior Nan Forbes.
The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform was invited on campus by the Radford College Republicans.
