Roughly 30 people, mobilized by a Facebook post promoting an anti-abortion speaker, protested outside the July 11 event at St. Gabriel’s Church Hall in Athabasca.
The protest began when protest organizer Charity Jardine saw the July 7 post, announcing that anti-abortion speaker Emily Price would be giving a presentation in Athabasca. The next day, Jardine began organizing a protest of the event.
Outside the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre, which had no affiliation with either event, the protesters made pro-choice protest signs they held while lining 53 Street.
The peaceful protest began at 6:30 p.m. and ended at around 8 p.m.
“I didn’t think this many people would show up,” said Jardine as she looked around at the protesters. “I’m really happy that they did.”
Pro-choice demonstrator Dawn Lewis (second from right) poses for the camera with (L-R) Vaune McKee, Emily Price and Max Rypien.
Price, who grew up in Athabasca, is the global policy and research co-ordinator for the Campaign Life Coalition, a Toronto-based organization that calls itself “Canada’s largest pro-life and pro-family organization” on its website.
The organization opposes abortion, same-sex marriage, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research. It has also questioned whether Gay-Straight Alliances prevent bullying. In a March statement, the group called for their removal from Alberta schools.
“I did not choose pro-life; pro-life chose me,” Price said during an interview. “I have always been pro-life, though I was never very active in it until September.”
What got Price involved in the anti-abortion movement was going to the United Nations during her final year of university. It was there she met other like-minded activists.
“The fact that abortion has remained controversial at the UN is the direct result of the work of pro-life organizations,” she said.
Around 50 people attended Price’s presentation at the church, with some arriving from Lac La Biche and St. Albert.
Local resident Max Rypien said she enjoyed the presentation and said she has often been accused of not being compassionate for her abortion stance.
“I understand the emotional and mental situation that happens with abortion, and I also understand that people sometimes feel that they do not have a choice,” Rypien said. “That makes me very sad because we are a compassionate people.”
Outside, the protesters were concerned the presentation would have misinformation about abortion.
“I think it’s really important that people don’t interfere with women’s health decisions,” said protester Jocelyn Loken. “Part of the reason we’re protesting an event like this is that they purposefully spread misinformation.”
Jocelyn Loken protesting Campaign Life Coalition speaker Emily Price on July 11.
Price also distributed three pages of information during the talk, one of which contained abortion statistics.
A statistic about the number of abortions performed in 2015 was cited to a Google Drive page that no longer exists.
Another statistic stated “nearly 1 in 4 pregnancies today result in abortion” and was linked to a BBC article from 2016.
That same article states “laws banning abortions do not limit the number of terminations and can instead lead people to seek illegal abortions that can be unsafe.”
It also states “investing in modern contraceptive methods would be far less costly to women and to society than having unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions.”
“I’ve never had an abortion but other women might want one,” Jardine said. “What if my daughter wants one? You know, it’s none of my business. This is a reproductive health issue. It’s not anything to do with morality.”
— With files from Bryan Taylor
