In the culmination of Choice Week, over 50 people rallied Friday in support of abortion rights.
But scattered among the pro-choice supporters were pro-life advocates sporting posters of mangled fetuses and declarations equating abortion with murder.
The week -- sponsored by Penn for Choice -- included activities aimed at educating students on contraception, national and international abortion policies and the role of religion in formulating opinions on abortion.
Friday was designated as Activism Day because, as College freshman and event organizer Julia Berenson noted, Penn for Choice "has been informing people about these issues all week, so now they can do something about it."
"As Americans, we have the right to choose," Berenson said. "Right now that's being threatened so we need to stand up."
Rally speakers gathering on College Green Friday included representatives from the National Organization for Women, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Penn American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood, Penn Medical Students for Choice, Penn Democrats and Women's Medical Fund.
Tables were set up for students to sign up for a pro-choice march in Washington, D.C., paint a banner for the march, sign letters to be sent to Pennsylvania's senators and gather information on abortion policies and pro-choice options.
"We want to educate people about the dangers facing a woman's reproductive freedom," College sophomore and Penn for Choice Vice President of Special Events Niva Kramek said.
"We're not all pro-abortion, we're pro-choice -- so you have the ability to choose over your own health care," Berenson said of the group's outlook. "It's ridiculous that white men are controlling these issues."
Members of the Penn College Republicans were also on College Green staging a counterprotest. College junior and Vice Chairwoman Stephanie Steward noted that abortion should not be a personal issue.
"It is a political and legislative issue and not just a moral issue," Steward said. "It's a universal issue, it's a child, it's a life. It's not a woman's choice or a man's choice."
Pro-lifer and eighth-grader Christine Major attended with a non-University-affiliated group protesting the rally. She said that her group had decided to come out to "show people what abortion does to babies. That it is murder."
"I've been doing it my whole life," Major said of opposing pro-choice rallies. "I've been out there since I was a baby."
Pro-choice College sophomore Oliver Entine said that the age of the children holding the graphic pro-life signs was most disturbing.
"I saw a 3-year-old child holding up a poster," he said. "It's bad enough to show these images, but to have your little kid do that for you is just appalling."
"In the absence of Brother Stephen, someone has got to fill the void," College and Engineering senior Max Cantor said.
As the coordinator and director of media relations for Pennsylvania for Clark, Cantor said that he wanted to participate in the rally both as an emphatic supporter of a woman's right to choose and to support the pro-choice policies of Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark.
Organizers and rally participants stressed the importance of speaking out.
"They want to restrict my rights and they want to restrict my free speech -- they think that women don't have a right to their own bodies," Kramek said of the pro-life contingency at the event.
President of the Pennsylvania chapter of NOW Kathy Miller said that "this issue is going to affect the rest of our lives."
"It's important for college students to realize that we're at a critical turning point in our country."
The Penn College Republicans noted, however, that they were not linked with the other pro-life protesters.
"It really deters from our platform by being associated with them," Steward said. "I agree with their stand but some of their arguments are just... flat-out wrong."
Despite the counterprotesters, the rally's turnout was impressive to Miller and other participants.
"The mass amount of protesters here are just a big testament for what a strong influence the Penn for Choice movement has," Entine said.
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