Students disturbed a demonstration of the Respect Life Week to voice their opposition to the event.
GU Right to Life placed 3,753 flags on Copley Lawn Monday to symbolize all the abortions that take place each day in the United States. Jenny Bradley (MSB ‘03), a member of GU Right to Life, said the event was intended to raise consciousness, regardless of personal opinion on abortion.
According to Bradley, two students began to play frisbee in the area the flags were set up.
“The students made it clear the frisbee game wasn’t their intent,” Bradley said.
Bradley said the students destroyed approximately 200 flags.
Bradley and others approached the students, asking them to play the game away from the flags. When the students refused to leave, Bradley called the Department of Public Safety. Bradley said two officers responded to her call.
Bryan Law (CAS ‘03), one of the two students involved in the frisbee game, said the officers informed him GU Right to Life had a permit for the lawn and asked him to move the game.
Bradley said the officers offered to patrol the area surrounding Copley Lawn to prevent similar situations.
Law said he found the pro-life flag display misguided in that he thought it trivialized a difficult decision.
“For others and myself the placement of these flags had moral overtones suggesting that abortion equates murder,” Law said.
Steve Wolsh (MSB ‘04), the other student involved in the frisbee game, said the game was meant to convey the message that the beliefs of GU Right to Life shouldn’t give them the right to intrude on the lives of all students.
GU Right to Life had applied for a one-day permit for Copley Lawn from the Office of Student Programs, according to Elizabeth Brown (CAS ‘02), President of GU Right to Life. Once a group receives a permit, it is free to use the requested space from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Bradley said she respected the beliefs of Law and Wolsh, but said a different response could have produced more thought and dialogue.
“In their attempt to show their freedom of speech, they were stomping on our freedom of speech,” Bradley said.
Law said he did not intend to hurt anyone’s feeling with this frisbee game, but wanted to make a point he could not condone the GU Right to Life demonstration.
