Photo Courtesy of senior Hannah Stephens.

  On Thursday, May 11, nearly 400 San Luis Obispo High School students walked out of third period class in non-school sanctioned solidarity with women to protest the overturning of Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade. I was among those students, and I found this public action to be very inspiring.

However, I found it extremely disheartening to see a small group of counter protesters being swarmed and harassed by the larger group of women’s rights advocates. Expressions interviewed several of these protesters to get their perspective on the walkout.

  “We were able to have several mutually respectful conversations with other students even though we didn’t agree with them,” said junior and counter protester Owen Blackwell. However, the protesters expressed some serious concerns regarding their safety at the walkout.

  “I felt like I was in danger. I knew the admin was right there and wouldn’t let anything go down but if they hadn’t been there I feel like violence probably would have broken out,” said junior Josiah McCarley. He described how they “had multiple people try to steal our sign and destroy it.” As someone who witnessed it firsthand, I observed that the antagonism toward the counter protesters was clearly overwhelming as students encircled the group, hurling insults at them.

  As a feminist, I advocate for people’s right to choose. While this obviously includes a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy, it also includes the right for SLO High students to counter protest at the women’s rights demonstration. When we disrespect counter protesters, we are going against the very rights we advocate for. 

  After further research, I heard several accounts of hate also being shown toward the women’s rights advocates.

  “I saw one of the counter protesters rip a sign out of a girl’s hand,” recounted one anonymous student at the walkout. “I thought, ‘What’s the point of walking out if you’re just going to disrespect the purpose of the event?’” Another source indicated that several of the flyers promoting the walkout were vandalized on campus.

  Regardless of which side you support, it’s crucial to respect other people’s right to peacefully protest. Not only is it hypocritical to physically or verbally abuse people exercising their same right to protest as us, but it is counterproductive in creating an effective democracy.