Spit on, surrounded and threatened: street campaign in Utrecht

Following the widely differing reactions in The Hague and Amsterdam, the volunteers in Utrecht faced a more aggressive counter-protest. Nevertheless, the campaign also led to serious discussions and support, and even caused some people to change their minds about abortion.

Spit on and threatened

The street campaign continued its journey in Utrecht, stopping first at Stationsplein near Utrecht Central Station. The counter-protest was clearly more hostile and better organised than the ones a few days earlier in Amsterdam and The Hague. Before long, a man began repeatedly insulting one of the volunteers. When the volunteer replied that insults are not arguments, the man spat at him. Another passer-by even threatened: “If the police weren’t here, I’d knock your teeth out.”

Shouting counter-protest

Via Instagram, the Dolle Mina’s, the same feminist organisation that protested our campaign earlier, called on their followers to organise a counter-protest quickly. In the university city of Utrecht, many people heeded that call. The volunteers were surrounded by a shouting crowd carrying improvised protest signs, many of which bore vulgar language. The pro-choice activists used megaphones, jeered, shouted and gave the middle finger. They also waved Pride flags and a Palestinian flag.

“Do you want this tomato in your face?”

A woman who claimed to be a doctor held a tomato right in front of a pro-life activist’s face and asked if he wanted it thrown at him. She then began filming him and asked for his name. When the volunteer explained to the camera that he was standing up for the most fundamental human right – the right to life – and she was not, she immediately stopped filming. Another man walked alongside a volunteer for about twenty minutes, shouting. He kept getting closer and refused to keep his distance. Whilst the shouting man was standing right in front of him, another man pushed the volunteer twice in the back. Eventually, the police had to intervene and order the shouting man to keep a distance of at least five metres.

Aggression backfires

The aggression of the counter-protest also had an unexpected effect. Passers-by saw the shouting counter-protest and actually became curious about the message the activists were so vehemently opposing. As a result, more people accepted a leaflet. Some wanted to know more about the pro-life views, precisely because they did not want to be associated with the shouting and intimidation. Once again, a clear contrast emerged: whilst the opponents tried to drown out the campaign, the pro-lifers remained calm as they spoke with passers-by.

Two people changed their minds on the spot

Those conversations bore fruit. After a calm debate, two people said they had changed their minds. “Thank you, you’ve convinced us,” they said. Through the conversation, they had come to realise that abortion is a grave evil. Two other young men also listened sincerely to the arguments against abortion. One of them acknowledged during the conversation that abortion results in the taking of human life. Although they were not yet fully convinced, they listened attentively and without hostility. This stood in stark contrast to many of the other people present.

Utrecht University

When the volunteers continued their campaign at Utrecht University, the Dolle Mina’s once again activated their so-called “anti-abortion alert” via Instagram. Many students and staff recognised the volunteers from previous street campaigns. Some had already started filming as soon as they arrived. Despite the loud counter-protest, many substantive debates were able to take place. Groups of students and passers-by regularly gathered around the discussions, listening attentively or joining in the debate themselves.

Deeply personal experiences

One of the volunteers gave three interviews to journalism students, who saw this as a great opportunity to put their studies into practice. They also spoke to a professor who had joined the counter-protest. He believed that banging pans on a bin was a civilised way of expressing one’s opinion. A young woman of about eighteen took part in a large group discussion. Afterwards, she returned on her own to share some personal experiences that she did not wish to discuss in front of the group. Out of respect for her privacy, those details will not be published. She did, however, say that the discussion had given her a great deal to think about and that she did not wish to be part of the group of aggressive abortion campaigners.

The silent support behind the shouting

The noisy crowd surrounding the volunteers, both at Utrecht Central Station and at the university, might have given the impression that there is hardly any support for the unborn child. Behind the shouting, however, there turned out to be a great deal of silent support. Two volunteers were standing outside the supermarket near Utrecht Central Station, talking to passers-by. At one point, a man came out of the supermarket. He said he thought the volunteers’ work was wonderful and courageous, and that he would like to make a donation. He opened his wallet and gave them a cash donation on the spot. He then walked over to another volunteer, had a detailed conversation with him as well, and subsequently made another donation. This illustrates the impact of the street campaign. People are prompted to reflect, sometimes change their minds, and decide to actively support the work to protect the unborn child.

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This article was first published on Stirezo Pro-life.