RICHMOND, Virginia (LifeSiteNews) – Two arrests have been made in connection to Antifa violence that broke out at a campus speech by leading a pro-life activist in the latest (but far from the first) explosive manifestation of left-wing intolerance.
As part of her “Lies Pro-Choicers Believe” Tour, Students for Life of America president Kristan Hawkins was speaking at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on March 29 when Antifa activists bearing “Black Lives Matter” and “Transgender Power” signs were on hand to attempt to shout her down with chants such as “fascists go home” and “f*** pro-lifers.”
According to video and testimony from the event, the hostility turned violent, with several pro-life attendees and Students for Life staffers assaulted by the agitators, including the group’s Kevin Feliciano, who was hit with signs in attempts to stop him from recording their behavior, and SFLA-VCU chapter president Autumn Walser, who sustained a leg injury. Pro-life signs and other belongings were stolen and vandalized, as well.
“While I was recording on my phone, one of the aggressive pro-abortion protesters had to be taken out of the room by our security guard since VCU police were not helping,” Walser says. “The protester was kicking and resisting so aggressively that I ended up getting shoved full force into a table against the wall.”
“While in intense pain, I limped to a safe room where I discovered a golf ball size welt and a growing bruise on my leg,” she continued. “We called the EMTs to examine my leg to see if I needed to go to the hospital. Thankfully, they confirmed that it was not broken but told me I have severe bone and muscle bruising, as well as swelling.”
.@VCU is a hotbed of far-left violent extremism that is sanctioned by the administration. I previously reported with @MiaCathell about the student body president who used an alias to try to radicalize others to commit mass murder. https://t.co/r1NM429IBM
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) March 30, 2023
Hawkins’ personal security intervened to protect who they could, but campus police actually asked her to leave rather than the offenders. Eventually, local law enforcement arrived but detained pro-lifers, giving the agitators the opportunity to disperse, according to SFLA.
“The free speech rights of pro-life Americans and especially pro-life students are at stake,” Hawkins said. “We can’t stop meeting for fear of opposition … Silencing the peaceful people because of fear of the loud and violent makes us all less safe. We will be back to ensure that free speech truly exists at VCU.”
“It was so ridiculous,” said SFLA executive vice president Tina Whittington, who was present for the event. “That’s the definition of fascism and Naziism — not allowing for free speech. They wouldn’t allow other ideas to be expressed, and in a way, they won, even though pro-life students stayed to talk after the event.”
“I did not see any assault from pro-life students or audience members, but I did see protesters shoving and pushing in the crowd, including going after our videographer,” she added.
Local ABC affiliate WRIC reported that two arrests were subsequently made, 22-year-old Natalie Hoskins III for simple assault and 30-year-old Anthony Marvin for disorderly conduct. It is unclear which of the various acts they were specifically responsible for.
“I was in the room filming the event when one of the protesters who was shouting at Kristan Hawkins and Isabel Brown saw me and walked over,” Feliciano recalled. “He said, ‘What are you going to do? Going to dox us?’ I asked, ‘What?’ — and then he swung his megaphone at me, hitting my camera and hand. When he hit me, our security and the police took the person out of the room and arrested them. I was taken out of the room, as well, to be questioned about the attack, and I was able to show the police officers footage of the attack that confirmed my story. I pressed charges immediately.”
“Since we don’t feel confident in protection from campus police, we’re ensuring that the student president Walser has security for the rest of the semester on campus,” SFLA said. “We want her safety guaranteed — but we’re not letting VCU off the hook entirely. We’re also currently in discussion with our legal counsel, considering what actions need to be taken to rectify the situation at VCU.”
While not given the same media attention as the narrative of “right-wing domestic extremism,” left-wing violence has long been a persistent unaddressed issue, from the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020 to the wave of pro-abortion attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and churches in reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last June. Yet the Biden administration continues to operate from the premise that pro-life Americans are the true threat to public safety.