Students from Tufts Students for National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), a chapter of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, joined a total of approximately 20 people to protest at a rally for U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump in Tyngsborough, Mass. on Oct. 16.
According to Tufts Students for NARAL President and founder Samantha Berg, students protested because of Trump’s stances on reproductive rights.
“We wanted to show him and his supporters that we don’t think that he would make a good president,” Berg, a junior, said. “His beliefs do not align with our beliefs, [and] we wanted to make our voices heard.”
According to Tufts Students for NARAL Secretary-Treasurer Claire Stone, a junior, the protesters included members of the Massachusetts NARAL chapter in addition to students from Tufts, Clark University and Simmons College.
Tufts Students for NARAL Communications Manager Madeleine Gene explained that protesting at the rally was an effective way to voice the group's concerns.
“When [Trump] drove by, he waved at us and looked at us,” Gene, a junior, said. “I was glad that he actually saw what we were doing.”
According to Stone, Trump has made several inconsiderate statements about women, and has said that he cherishes women, which is different from respecting them.
“He may think he’s honestly cherishing women, but he might mean cherish in a way that we don’t really want to be treated,” Stone said.
Stone said that Tufts Students for NARAL has yet to be formally recognized by Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate because of bylaws that require groups to have existed for at least six months prior to recognition, among other qualifications.
“Once we do that, we can really get into the swing and host events,” Stone said.
According to Berg, Tufts Students for NARAL hopes to continue spreading its message on campus through film screenings, panels, conversations and campaigning for NARAL-supported laws in order to further publicize its support of reproductive rights.
“Hopefully the Tufts community will understand where we’re coming from and support us as a whole,” Berg said.
Since NARAL is a non-partisan group, it will endorse a presidential candidate only after gathering information on all of the candidates in terms of their beliefs regarding reproductive rights, according to Berg.
However, Berg would like to see candidates take proactive approaches to addressing the issue of reproductive rights.
“I obviously think that there is more to be done,” Berg said. “A lot of times, candidates don’t address these issues because they’re hot button topics and they can be very polarizing when it comes to an individual’s beliefs.”
Gene said she is grateful for the police officers who were present at the rally for maintaining an organized and secure separation between the protesters and Trump supporters by fencing in the protesters.
“I didn’t foresee anything dangerous happening, but it was nice to know that our right to protest was being protected and it made me feel more safe,” she said.
Berg said that although protesters were a minority at the rally, she enjoyed the experience.
“We felt that we were able to get our message across and show that we will not stand by and let him or any other candidate take away our rights,” she said.
The Trump campaign did not respond to the Daily's request for comment.
Tufts Students for NARAL protest at Trump rally
Members of NARAL, the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, protest outside a sold-out Donald Trump rally at Tyngsborough Elementary School in Tyngsborough, Mass. on Friday, Oct 16.
