U of M Medical Students Walk Out On Anti-Abortion Speaker
Tony Dortie - 24/7 Eyes via YouTube
The University of Michigan is making headlines after several medical students walked out in protest of an anti-abortion speaker during yesterday's White Coat Ceremony.
As you will see in the videos below, the incoming medical students leave the auditorium as Dr. Kristin Collier starts to speak. According to Click On Detroit, Doctor Collier is also a University of Michigan graduate and is currently employed at the university.
There was an attempt to stop Dr. Collier from speaking - a petition was started, but it was not enough to stop the anti-abortion doctor from being a part of the ceremony. If you are not familiar, with the White Coat Ceremony it is a ritual in some schools of medicine and other health-related fields that marks the student's transition from the study of preclinical to clinical health sciences.
According to ABC News, Dr. Collier did not touch on the topic of abortion during her speech yesterday, but she has been vocal in the past about her anti-abortion beliefs. Since the walkout, Collier made a statement via Twitter, in which she described herself as feeling 'bolstered' and grateful for the support she has received.
Countless videos of the students walking out have gone viral. You can see two videos of the protest below. Not everyone is going to agree with the protest (duh), but I think we can all agree on the fact that the medical students who did walk out, made their point with class and dignity - not violence and that is commendable.