U of T has seen a number of anti-abortion protests over the past few years, causing unease among some students and passersby.
In 2015, protesters at the intersection of St. George Street and Bloor Street drew attention with large banners depicting graphic and disturbing images of aborted fetuses. In 2022, protesters appeared at the University of Toronto Students’ Union Orientation, attempting to engage passersby in conversations advocating for abolishing abortion rights in Canada.
While such protests previously happened at highly populated events, they have now become a regular occurrence at prominent campus locations.
U of T’s protest policies
According to the 2024 User Guide on U of T Policies on Protest, peaceful protests on campus are permitted but they must adhere to specific guidelines.
Some guidelines stipulate that protests cannot occur between 11:00 pm and 7:00 am or involve “unauthorized” occupation or entering of spaces. The guideline refers students to a directory on the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students’ website for information to book a space for protests. Additionally, using intimidating or harassing tactics, creating excessive noise, blocking access to campus, or displaying discriminatory or threatening content violates U of T policies.
While the anti-abortion protests do not appear to violate the university’s Policies on Protest, their use of graphic imagery has sparked controversy among students. The Varsity spoke to UTSG students to discuss the recent anti-abortion protests on campus and its effects.
Students and PEARS respond
Emily Miller, a third-year student studying political science, expressed concern over the protesters’ imagery, noting that it creates a “climate of discomfort and tension” on campus. She emphasized the need to balance the right to protest with maintaining a safe and supportive campus environment, particularly for students with personal or traumatic experiences related to abortion.
David Harris, a second-year student studying history, called the graphic images “an aggressive and invasive tactic” that “doesn’t promote healthy dialogue.” He noted that the images hinder productive engagement with the topic, and generate discomfort and division instead.
Both Miller and Harris argued that, while the right to protest is crucial, it should not come at the expense of student well-being.
Students have also expressed frustration over the frequency of the anti-abortion protests, particularly since they are often held in high-traffic areas and make it difficult for students to avoid what they find as “deeply upsetting.”
Miller said that the university should enforce policies to limit the use of protesters’ graphic imagery in public spaces and increase support services such as counselling to help students cope with the emotional impact of the protests.
Research conducted by the University of California, San Francisco’s Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health found that according to research, graphic anti-abortion images can have negative emotional effects on some women deciding to go through the abortion process, especially those who have had difficulty deciding to have an abortion.
Harris further suggested that the university consider more actively regulating protests, potentially designating certain areas for “controversial demonstrations” to minimize their impact on other students.
Micah Kalisch is the founder and co-director of The Prevention, Empowerment, Advocacy, Response, for Survivors (PEARS) Project, a trauma-informed coalition that provides peer support and resources to survivors of sexual violence at U of T. Kalisch is a first-year masters student studying women and gender studies with a focus in sexualized violence.
In an email to The Varsity, she wrote “[It’s] incredibly violent and upsetting to see the recent increase in anti-abortion protestors, we have seen a similar rise in far right hate and violence.”
“Not only is anti-choice rhetoric inherently violent and fails to uphold and respect people’s bodily autonomy and consent, but often these protests [and] protesters are violent,” she wrote. “We have heard reports of people being followed, filmed, yelled at, grabbed, and intimidated. There is no choice or consent being extended to students who are trying to get to class and forced to pass graphic imagery and aggressive pushing of violent opinions and medical misinformation.”
Resources & peer support
In an email to The Varsity, a U of T spokesperson provided a link to what “the University is doing to protect those members of its community who feel threatened by what they consider hateful, harassing or threatening speech.”
The website states that “If a member of our community believes that another member’s speech compromises or threatens their personal safety, they may bring these concerns to their Dean’s Office, Equity Offices, or Community Safety Office.”
It encourages community members to contact Campus Safety in “urgent or acute cases” and if any member feels “physically unsafe or threatened” they should seek out resources provided by the Community Safety Office, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre, and Campus Safety.
Kalisch explained that the PEARS Project notifies students on social media of where the anti-abortion protests are taking place, “so folks can make an informed decision about the route they want to take.”
“We offer peer support during times we know anti-choice signage is prominent such as Orientation Week, and throughout the year our drop-in peer support is available for anyone triggered… by this,” she wrote.
“For students who are impacted by these protestors, I remind you that you are not alone, your reaction and response [are] valid,” she added. “For administration[,] we call on them to address the harmful and violent rhetoric of these signs and protestors.”
The U of T spokesperson also provided links to resources on the university’s policies regarding free speech and expression, including the User Guide to U of T Policies on Protests, the FAQs on the Free Speech website, and the Institutional Statement of Purpose.
The administration emphasized that U of T’s Statement of Purpose asserts, “Within the unique university context, the most crucial of all human rights are the rights of freedom of speech, academic freedom, and freedom of research. And we affirm that these rights are meaningless unless they entail the right to raise deeply disturbing questions and provocative challenges to the cherished beliefs of society at large and of the university itself.”