Anti-abortion protesters show up at West Potomac; some students respond with own rally

Students with Planned Parenthood signs and literature stand outside West Potomac on Thursday. (Contributed photo)

A small group of anti-abortion protesters showed up unannounced outside of West Potomac High School on Wednesday, prompting the school’s police officer to request two to leave school property and inspiring some students to hold their own demonstration the following day.

The protesters set up shop along the side of Quander Road as the school day ended Wednesday. A photo provided to Covering The Corridor shows at least one man on school grounds. The group, which witnesses said consisted of 5-6 men, carried signs — some with graphic images — and yelled into megaphones.

West Potomac’s school resource officer (SRO) addressed two of the men because they were on the edge of the property, according to principal Tangy Millard. Even after moving, the protester’s location still allowed them to directly address students who were walking home and leaving in vehicles. One student did tell administrators they were made uncomfortable by the men.

One of the men who showed at the anti-abortion protest at West Potomac. (Submitted photo)

“One of our students felt that they were aggressive in that some of our students were approached as they were walking home and felt uncomfortable,” Millard said. “We have asked them to stay off school grounds, but if they are impeding students from going home that is a different problem and it will be addressed.”

It’s unclear who the group was affiliated with, or why they selected West Potomac for a demonstration. Some students speculated that the appearance may have been related to the school’s current theater production of the play “Spring Awakening,” which tells the story of a young German girl who dies from an unsafe abortion in the late 1800s. However Fairfax County Public Schools spokesman John Torre said similar small protests have been held at other schools in the past few weeks.

Some students did engage with the men, including junior Jackie Amacker, who took issue with protesters’ message and tactics — and decided to do something about it.

“My friends and I had talked to them. They called us indoctrinated and equated the students to mass murderers,” Amacker said. “Afterward I was so angry about it I called the Planned Parenthood office in Washington D.C.”

After speaking with Planned Parenthood, Amacker and her friends decided the best response to the incident would be to hold their own demonstration in the same location. So Thursday morning she and her friends drove to Planned Parenthood to pick up signs and items to distribute. After the final bell rang Thursday, the students handed out items and talked to students leaving school about abortion rights.

Amacker said her group tried to make the rally a learning experience, and said that other students responded positively to the group.

“[We wanted] to give representation to the other side of the argument,” said Amacker, a member of the Young Democrats at West Potomac. “It was more about talking to your friends about something, not people screaming at you.”