Violent Reactions to Pro-Life Exhibit at UMass/Amherst

mass news ^ | April 18, 2003 | By Izzy Lyman

[RaceBannon]

Violent Reactions to Pro-Life Exhibit at UMass/Amherst

By Izzy Lyman April 18, 2003

The "tolerant" types at UMass/Amherst have protested a pro-life exhibit this week by taking crosses off dead babies in a mythical graveyard, throwing them in a pond and breaking them in half.

One UMass/Amherst undergraduate was assaulted while manning the exhibit that was displayed next to the Student Union.

>
Taking a stand: Kiera Manikoff, a UMass Junior, is proud of her pro-life and pro-child views.

Kiera Manikoff, a political science major and a junior, scuffled with a female who verbally harassed her and held a hammer over her. Charges are pending against the assailant.

Desiring to start a debate about abortion during Holy Week, members of the UMass Republican Club purchased lumber last week to erect 160 crosses which they painted white. On Sunday night, April 13, the students set up the crosses to simulate an "abortion graveyard."

Signs with provocative messages were interspersed through the graveyard. One sign explained the white crosses: "Abortion kills 160 babies in the U.S. every hour." Another said: "Abortion doesn't make you unpregnant, it makes you the mother of a dead baby."

On Monday morning, Manikoff, a petite brunette, stopped by the display. Club members expected mischief to occur, so Manikoff came prepared with a hammer and nails to repair any signs or crosses. But she was unprepared for an encounter with an irate female.

Sign of the Times: The Republican Club's 'abortion graveyard' featured a placard which notes the scope and frequency of late-term abortions.

"This girl comes up, runs up to the graveyard and picks up one of the crosses and cracks it over her knee. She then goes up to the abortion sign, and she pulls it out," said Manikoff.

Manikoff walked over with her tools and confronted the women.

"I said, 'Excuse me. You may not agree with what I have to say, but you cannot destroy our property. We have a right to do this.'"

The woman responded by telling Manikoff she found the display "horribly offensive." Then the encounter took a physical turn.

"She reaches across and takes the hammer out of my hand, gesturing it in my face and going, 'How dare you as a woman. You should be ashamed of yourself.'"

A scuffle ensued as Manikoff attempted to prevent the larger woman from swinging the hammer. Manikoff ended up on the ground after her assailant pushed her.

Although over a dozen spectators were watching the altercation, only two young men, whom Manikoff described as teenagers, came to her assistance. "We saw the whole thing. We're sorry we couldn't get here in time to get her off you," they said.

The campus police were called, and Manikoff gave them her statement, as did the other woman. The police log describes it: "Caller reporting that she had an altercation with a member of a group who have set up an anti-abortion demonstration on the lawn outside the Earthfood market." They have not released the name of Manikoff's assailant.

UMass Deputy Police Chief Patrick Archibald told the Daily Hampshire Gazette that "The incident is still under review by the district attorney's office. We feel pretty confident those charges [vandalism and assault] will go forward, as well as civil rights charges."

Although she was assaulted for confronting an abortion supporter who vandalized the Republican Club's exhibit, student Kiera Manikoff remains committed to campus activism.

Regarding the civil rights charge, Manikoff said a campus officer contacted her on Tuesday, April 15, and told her that the other woman had "inhibited your right to express yourself."

Dave Peterson, a Republican Club member, was manning the exhibit during the noontime shift on Wednesday, April 16. He said that the incident involving Manikoff was not the only harassment the pro-life students have faced.

Yet Peterson sees the silver lining, "We've gotten a lot of good debate out of it, too."

"I was a little shaken, but it motivated us more," adds Kiera Manikoff of the Republican Club's willingness - as well as her willingness - to continue to take a stand for the pre-born.

Izzy Lyman can be reached at ilyman7449@aol.com.

[dvan]

Amazing how loving and tolerant these jackasses are. Doesn't figure does it? Such strong support for the murder of the unborn.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

If you're interested, check out this site (warning: links from this page contain graphic photos not for the squeamish). The reactions from students is intersting and revealing.

[Darksheare]

When confronted with the immorality/ hypocrisy of their views, the left resorts to violence to get their way.

[Khepera]

Someone threatens this Christian with a hammer and they get to catch a bullet.

[=Intervention=]

You beat me to it! *LOL*

-=I=-

[eternity]

These commies are now turning to violence (like little kids who don't get their way). Nice report Izzy.

[KantianBurke]

yeah so keep your mitts off of her! :>

[stands2reason]

I didn't think I'd live to see student pro-life demonstrations on college campuses.

Many post-Roe/Wade children realise how lucky they are to be alive...

[JulieRNR21]

God Bless those young Republicans at UMass/Amherst!

As usual the liberal left which claims to be so tolerant.....refuses to let those with an opposing view exercise their free speech!

And violence is frequently the left's reaction which is to be expected since abortion is a violent act against a helpless unborn child.

[Question_Assumptions]

I'm sure she found it offensive. Probably hit a little to close to home with her. I was a counter-protester at a big pro-choice march in DC over a decade ago and they had a graveyard like this with 4,400 crosses. The pro-choice marchers wouldn't go inside but they screamed some pretty terrible things at the pro-life counter-protesters inside. That's also where I saw the lone woman, sitting in front of one of those crosses crying. Something so sad that I'll never forget it.

[Mat_Helm]

I would be willing to bet that the violent reaction from the women was from the guilt of her own abortion as others have suggested.

[colorado tanker]

Yep. If you've got a pro-abortion mom it's got to be pretty rough when you're old enough to realize mom could just as easily have killed you and may have killed some siblings.

[Nebr FAL owner]

The fact that the young lady & the college Republicans were unprepared for physical violence from the left shows a lack of understanding of the vindictiveness/savagery that the campus communists are capable of, as for the local police I would not want to trust my life to there enforcement of the law as they would try to look the other way until either a Republican got hurt/killed then fill out a report to filed in the cylindrical file or the Republicans defend themselves only to be arrested for assualt attempted murder inciting a riot & anything else they can think of. More & better planning needs to be done for these protests also at least 2 persons on watch at all times to cover one anothers back & video tapeing of the scene as a record. Also having a lawyer on call is a good idea as well.

[firebrand]

Hey yeah. Make them keep 60 feet back from any pro-life exhibit. Make them take it to the Supreme Court if they want to get any closer.

[firebrand]

Great one, Izzy. I'm sending it to my nephew at Amhearse.

[mickie]

She is a brave young woman isn't she? I'd be proud to have her in my family.......thats for sure.

God Bless and keep her safe.

[ChemistCat]

I think we boo. Not sure. The tapes seem to get themselves edited, don't they.

[RaceBannon]

UPDATE FROM IZZY LYMAN:

I don't know if Kiera will sue. The feminazi has not been arrested. She is merely a suspect but two witnesses has given statements to the cops on Kiera's behalf. You know the double-standard regarding conservatives ...

The whole exhibit was trashed on Wed. night.

[JoeSchem]

Liberals continue to defend the use of violence against the innocent, be it by Communist or Islamo-Fascist tyranny, criminals, or abortionists. So it is not surprising that they would use violence against the innocent once more to suppress freedom of speech and expression on a college campus.

[Dubya]

bump