Students for Life of America (SFLA), an anti-abortion organization, drew in a crowd of dissidents when they tabled in Perry Quad behind Campbell Student Union early Thursday afternoon.
The organization, whose mission is to “recruit, train, & mobilize the pro-life generation to abolish abortion” per their website, filed a public forum application with Buffalo State to organize in Perry Quad from around noon to 3 p.m.
University Police sat adjacent to the display to ensure that no conduct “violates the SUNY Rules for the Maintenance of Public Order, or other applicable laws, rules, policies, or procedures” according to the University guidelines on the use of facilities as a public forum.
Penelope Rose, Northeast Regional Coordinator for SFLA, said she and her partners were on campus “to have respectful dialogues with people” because “this is an issue that everybody’s attached to.”
SFLA’s table of pamphlets and banners — notably asking “is abortion human sacrifice?” — caught the attention of many pro-choice students as they headed to class or to the Union.
One student called for “power in numbers” to stifle the organizers’ message. Many students stopped to debate organizers or record the event.
Student Kelly Liao said she would stay in the quad opposing SFLA’s message “until they leave, or something funny happens.”
A post on the anonymous social media site Yik Yak read: “There is an anti abortion table out by Perry Hall that we are trying to out number and run off campus. Please join us in overthrowing these bigoted randoms.”
Supporters on both sides recorded heated debates and insults, but Rose said she was able to have a few meaningful conversations earlier in the day before crowds started forming around 2 p.m.
But before this reporter could ask another question, another organizer asked Rose to record her and a student arguing.
