After a controversial early removal from its display, the Bama Students for Life poster was returned to display at the Ferguson Center Thursday. In response to the re-installment, another student group, the Alabama Alliance for Reproductive and Sexual Justice, was there to counter-protest.
Members from both groups spent Thursday afternoon handing out flyers and information.
“Our purpose for being here today was to ensure that our side of what has gone on with Bama Students for Life was heard and to really propagate correct, factual information that’s really kind of been left out of the entire debate surrounding BSFL and their display,” said Benjamin Ray, the Secretary-Treasurer of AARSJ.
He said the group was there to talk with students and hand out pamphlets regarding abortion services and AARSJ’s stance on reproductive justice. He said they planned to continue tabling throughout the semester in an effort to “keep the conversation going.”
While AARSJ’s focus was on reproductive justice, Cassidy Ellis, an AARSJ member, said free speech was also an aspect of their work.
“We support everyone’s right to First Amendment free speech,” Ellis said. “That’s why we’re here, because every one has an opinion. It’s imperative for people to be educated on this topic so they can make choices.”
The controversy originally stemmed from the early removal of the poster from the Ferguson Center display. BSFL had reserved the case from Jan. 8 through Feb. 7, but when group members checked Feb. 6, a day before the reservation expired, the poster had been removed. Claire Chretien, BSFL president, secretly videotaped a conversation she had with Ferguson Center staff, in particular Donna Lake, an event coordinator at the Ferguson Center.
The video, which helped propel the story to the attention of state and national media outlets, records Chretien and Lake discussing the removal of the display. Lake can be heard saying the poster was removed after Ferguson Center staff received complaints from students about “graphic and offensive” images on the display, which she said was part of the policy regarding use of the display case.
The display case policy posted on the Ferguson Center’s website lists no restrictions concerning the content of displays. The Ferguson Center has since apologized for the removal and has allowed BSFL to replace the poster for their remaining reservation.
“Bama Students for Life is very grateful to the University for siding with free speech and allowing us to put our display back up,”Chretien said.
