Project Truth, an anti-abortion activist group, arrived at LPC on Monday, March 10. A member who identified himself as William Wilberforce claimed their mission was to “present to the students the complete issue of abortion.” While this may be their goal, during their promotion they often attempted to persuade students not to have abortions. They pushed the political and social issue of abortion while trying to convince their side. This is not the first time ProjectTruth has been at LPC; the first time that was reported by the Express dates back to 2013.
Some of the organizers only give out first names or will give out an alias. Some of them used the name William Wilberforce, a common false identity used in the anti-abortion movement. Wilberforce, who lived from the late 18th century to the early 19th century in Europe, was an anti-slavery activist who worked to protect innocent and vulnerable lives. While there isn’t substantial evidence that he was anti-abortion, The Gospel Coalition claims him as a symbol of the movement.
“We don’t believe any abortion should occur anywhere in a civil society. Abortion is an act of violence that kills an innocent child. We don’t believe there should ever be a reason to intentionally kill a baby in the womb,” Project Truth member Wilberforce said.
The same morning of Project Truth’s arrival on campus, LPC President Dyrell Foster sent an email to faculty members labeled “Statement on Freedom of Expression on Campus.” “As a public institution our college is identified as a designated public forum and shall be available for community use, as long as the use does not interfere with scheduled instructional programs or activities,” Foster said.
While the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District protects the First Amendment right to free speech on campus, the district can restrict and regulate material if it meets criteria in the Administrative Procedure 3905 policy making exceptions for “obscene or libelous” expression. This policy exists to maintain a neutral learning environment by limiting students’ exposure to sensitive or disturbing content at school. The images promoted by Project Truth were graphic with depictions of blood and gore which can cause emotional or psychological distress among students.
Project Truth put up multiple posters around the quad and were actively handing out brochures to passing students. Both the posters and the handouts featured graphic images of fetuses after abortion as well as different levels of development in the womb. These images contained depictions of blood and gore which upset many students.
“I think these are a lot more graphic than they need to be. I mean yes they look bad, but this has to be some worse case scenario. That is not what every abortion looks like,” student Kara Lawson said.
Often graphic images are used to create awareness and impact of a topic. In many cases media, such as radio, social media, videos and movies, will warn viewers of graphic content before the media is displayed. These are called content warnings or trigger warnings. They allow viewers to make an informed decision on whether or not they want to consume the media.
Students walking through campus aren’t given that choice.
Many students did not want to look at the blood and gore for many reasons. Students may have traumatic experiences surrounding abortion. As a society, we can never know what someone else has been through and what may cause distress. We should take precautions when discussing sensitive subjects in public.
“This is a school campus. The images are incredibly graphic. People are here to study, to get their majors and get out, and this, as you can see, causes a large stir of discomfort,” student Sofina Salvatore said.
Project Truth doesn’t believe in protecting the health of the parent or the baby, but rather protecting the birth of infants. They don’t have an opinion on the health consequences that come with having a child, such as medical issues affecting the parent or baby. Nor the mental and psychological issues for the parent being forced to carry and birth an unwanted child.
“ We don’t believe there is a right to exterminate your child. So therefore we don’t believe it’s a woman’s right to do that act against a child,” Wilberforce said.
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TOP PHOTO: Members of Project Truth, who chose to remain anonymous, engage with passerbys in the quad on March 10 in attempts to spread their anti-abortion messaging. (Photo by Angelina An/The Express)
Maximilien Kiyoi is a staff writer of The Express. Follow them on X, formally Twitter, @Max445193989306.
