Genocide Awareness Project Returns To U of C Campus

Despite having been charged with trespassing on their own campus, pro-life students are again setting up their controversial display on the University of Calgary campus, as they have been doing since 2006. They are back despite the University's obvious intention to pursue even more "trespassing" charges against the courageous students:

CALGARY, AB, March 25, 2009: The University of Calgary’s campus security personnel have taken down the names and addresses of seven members of the Campus Pro-Life club at about 2:30 p.m. today, presumably for the purpose of charging students with “trespassing” on their own campus.

Since 2006, students have set up a 2-day “Genocide Awareness Project” display on campus once per semester (twice per year). Initially the University declared that the display was permitted pursuant to the freedom of expression guarantee in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but in 2008 the University began demanding that the signs be turned inwards so that passers-by cannot see them.

In November 2008, the U of C’s campus security took down names and addresses of Campus Pro-Life club members. In January, these same club members were individually visited by Calgary Police at their homes after dark and issued a summons to appear in court on trespassing charges. The students have entered a plea of “not guilty” and the trial is set for November 4, 2009.

“We have a legal right to be on campus, and an equal right, like all students, to engage in the peaceful expression of our opinions,” stated club President Leah Hallman.

“The idea that students can trespass on their own campus merely by expressing their views is absurd,” she added.

The club will continue with its plans to return to campus tomorrow, Thursday, March 26, 2009, to complete the second day of its display, beginning at 8 a.m.

(From the Campus Pro-Life e-mail release)

I just can't understand why would the University of Calgary oppose the Genocide Awareness Project to that extent. Why it's ok for the Falun-Gong supporters show graphic pictures of their tortured comrades; why it's ok for the animal rights activists of all stripes to show graphic pictures of mutilated and disemboweled animals, but showing graphic pictures of aborted babies is a crime? How come Canadian unborn babies are less equal than Chinese dissidents or even animals?