A Christian anti-abortion group named “Tiny Heartbeat Ministries” came to Central Washington University and Western Washington University with signs of “lives violently taken” in front of Discovery Hall and Black Hall on Wednesday May 14 and Thursday May 15. Shortly after, CWU students lined up with their own signs in a form of counter-protest. Tiny Heartbeat Ministries handed out packets to students walking to class and work while CWU students played music through speakers and handed out free soda, water and condoms. 

Tiny Heartbeat Ministries showed up around 9 a.m. with edited pictures of “abortions” on massive signs, spreading the message to passing students on the “countless babies, slaughtered by abortion” which they claim on their Instagram are being “stored and experimented on behind the closed doors of University of Washington.” Each volunteer for the Christian group wore a red shirt that sported the name and logo of the organization along with a bible verse. Some of the volunteers held pictures of abortions while others held piles of packets.

A group of students met before Tiny Heartbeat Ministries with a wagon of signs to counter-protest the anti-abortion group. Set up on the tables outdoor Discovery Hall were packages of different soda brands, bags full of condoms and the aforementioned wagon filled with signs. Some of the signs stated the counter-protests beliefs, stating, “Keep Abortion Safe,”  “Pizza rolls not Gender Roles,” “Support children of Gaza, not a cell” and “Get your rosaries off my ovaries.” Other signs were directed at the anti-abortion protesters themselves, reading, “They are reactionary,” “This guy doesn’t understand science” with an arrow pointing to one of the protesters and “They can’t find the clit.”

The two groups met and while some mocked, yelled and insulted, others held discussions in hopes of persuading the opposing protesters to their beliefs. Some of the counter-protesters brought chalk and wrote messages onto the sidewalk in front of the anti-abortionists. The messages read “Resist Rebel” and “Pro-choice is Pro-life”.