Pro-life students at Manchester University left ‘terrified’ by indignant mob

Pro-life students on the University of Manchester were left “terrified” after police had to carry back an indignant mob who turned as much as protest their meeting. 

Students who attended the event on 29 February say they were egged and spat on, and met with a barrage of verbal assaults, including rape and death threats, that left them fearing for his or her safety.

The meeting was the inaugural event of the newly formed student Manchester Pro-Life Society and was being held to welcome recent members.

The group’s treasurer, named only as Jacob for security reasons, said, “If it wasn’t for the police and security, people would have definitely been physically hurt.

“It made me feel intimidated and threatened. I used to be genuinely afraid that we’d get hurt physically.”

One person on the event said he was only in a position to get in with the assistance of the police. Video footage posted to social media shows students being escorted out of the constructing by police and officers holding back the group. Other clips  show students being followed down the road by indignant protesters shouting “shame on you” and “F*** pro-life*.

Right to Life UK, which is supporting the pro-life group, said that one participant on the meeting needed to be taken home in a police van out of fear for her safety.

Maisie, a 22-year-old alumna of the university who’s seven months pregnant, said she was “terrified” that she and her unborn baby could be hurt. 

“Leaving the constructing was essentially the most terrifying part, we were surrounded and folks were screaming in our faces,” she said.

“I knew that it could only take one person to push into me for me to fall and be crushed. It was traumatic, I used to be shaking the entire time and I’m still really shaken up. I actually thought our lives were in peril.

“The crowd was extremely violent – spitting, throwing eggs, screaming and swearing. There were around 30 of us, and 300 of them. Most of them had their faces covered.”

Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, called the protest “appalling”. 

“These students ought to be allowed to debate serious moral issues like abortion free from such vile verbal threats and physical intimidation,” she said.

“Student pro-life groups are sometimes the primary opportunity people should hear the pro-life view and this mustn’t be denied by the specter of violence”.

Inge, a first-year student at Manchester University, said that some protesters expressed the hope that she could be raped.

“It’s unthinkable that at a university – where we are supposed to discuss and debate vital ideas about life and society – my peers and I even have been threatened, spat on, barricaded and wished death upon simply for our peaceful beliefs,” she said. 

“I joined the pro-life society because I think that girls deserve higher than abortion, and that society can do way more to support each lives in every pregnancy.

“Our group believes in respecting the dignity, rights and wellbeing of each mum and baby, and would love to explore ideas about how our country can get there.

“The fanatical attacks from a mob of ideologically-charged students last night terrified us.

“The UK government introduced laws recently to guard our right to free speech on campus. Speaking openly about a very important issue shouldn’t cost us our safety.”

Lorcán Price, legal counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom UK (ADF), called on Manchester University and its Students’ Union to guard the rights of all students. 

“University, of all places, ought to be where everyone can learn, debate, challenge and discuss ideas which can be vital to us,” said Price.

“The Higher Education (freedom of speech) Act 2022 was meant to secure this by ensuring universities took concrete steps to guard the rights of all students, including those with minority views who’ve been subjected to censorship.

“Yet, at Manchester University last night, we saw students’ safety under threat as they spat at, threatened with rape, and barricaded right into a venue by a fanatical mob”.

“The Students Union has an obligation of care to students to make sure their rights to free speech are protected. Debate is at all times welcome. Attempting to silence someone’s beliefs through threats of violence is unacceptable behaviour in British society.”

The Manchester Pro-Life Society had already come under intense scrutiny after a petition calling for its dissolution due to “potential harm” was launched anonymously online. It has been signed by nearly 20,000 people. 

Christian Concern’s Paul Huxley said, “It’s easy unbelievable that pro-lifers are portrayed as aggressive and their free speech restricted. It’s sickening and unjust on so many levels.”

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUG) is asking people to send a message of solidarity to members of the Manchester Pro-Life Society. 

“The courage of pro-life students in bearing the backlash of a pro-abortion society and overcoming great obstacles to fight for unborn babies have to be commended,” it said.

“Students at Manchester Pro-life Society have to know that we stand with them and support them.”

The University of Manchester and its Students’ Union have been contacted for comment.