Trainees at an anti-abortion workshop got a quick lesson in political confrontation Sept. 20, when pro-abortion rights protesters showed up to demonstrate against the “Life Conference 2019” seminars.

Organized by the San Juan Baptist Church, the weekend workshop attracted about 85 participants and outside, some 40 protesters called to the site by a group of current and former Chimacum High School students objecting to the use of their school for anti-abortion advocacy.

The event was hosted by the Life Training Institute, a Christian-based anti-abortion organization, whose mission is to “equip Christians to defend their unborn neighbors.”

The event’s headliner was speaker Michael Spencer from the Life Training Institute. Spencer travels throughout the United States to speak at conferences and address students on high school and university campuses.

According to Spencer’s website, he “has a burden to awaken the church to the plight of mothers facing unplanned pregnancies and to the little ones they carry.”

He spoke at the high school auditorium on Friday night as protesters stood outside with signs such as: “Why are you pro-life until birth?” and “Rural abortion access saves lives.”

According to San Juan Baptist Church Pastor Noel Muscutt, the event was to help people have well-informed discussions about abortion instead of “emotional attacks and misinformation.”

But protesters of the event did not want it held at the high school.

“Chimacum High School is a state-funded public school and should not be endorsing or hosting political events, especially ones that will marginalize students,” wrote Quynn Tidwell, one of the protests’ main organizers. Tidwell organized the event with another Chimacum High School graduate, Aubrey Ingersoll.

“Our mission for this event is a peaceful counter-protest to promote the separation of church and state,” Tidwell said. She also said the counter-demonstration sought to support students who have or may need to have abortions, and to protest use of public facilities to promote controversial political movements.

According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the protest was peaceful and there were no incidents.

The Sheriff’s Office was hired to provide extra security, said Sheriff Joe Nole. This doesn’t mean that they were providing security for one side over another, but that they were there as an extra presence to enforce the laws.

“Despite the fact that there are two polar opposite sides with completely different beliefs and you had those who were protesting for the separation of church and state, it was very peaceful,” said Sergeant Brett Anglin, who was there with another deputy to provide extra security. “I didn’t detect any violence or anger. The protesters were very respectful and agreed to the parameters we set.”

Even after protesters packed up to go home, Anglin said a group of them stayed to clean up after themselves.

The protesters were mainly young adults or students, Anglin added.

However, the students received the support of older men and women and some of their parents, as well.

“To be honest, I really would have rather been at home making dinner, but the idea of this event happening at the high school was just too outrageous for me, and I wanted to support the organizers who are recent graduates of the school,” said Heather Burns, who attended the protest. “For me, access to birth control and abortion is about economic justice, particularly as it relates to young people living in poverty in rural communities.”

For Alea Waters, a former nurse at Planned Parenthood, it was important to attend the protest in support of the students and out of concern for their safety.

“I worked for Planned Parenthood for over a decade,” she said. “The groups I had to go through to get to work were not peaceful. Historically, this is not a non-violent group.”

While some protesters were calling out the anti-abortion movement altogether, others were protesting the fact that the event was allowed to be hosted at Chimacum High School.

State law says that a school district may lease its surplus facilities to private schools, profit or nonprofit organizations and other governmental agencies so long as the leasing will not interfere with the building’s use for school purposes.

According to a press release from Chimacum Superintendent Rick Thompson, the school district in no way endorses the organization or event.

“Allowing the church to use the facility consistent with District practices, and as anyone can request, is not a violation of the separation of church and state,” wrote Thompson. “The District is not in the position of policing the viewpoints of those who use a District facility consistent with District procedures.”

However, Waters was concerned about the safety of students at their own school. It is possible that some members of the public will bring this concern to the attention of school board members at the next board meeting, which is at 6 p.m. on Sept. 25 at the Chimacum High School library.

Muscutt said the event was held at the high school because of the size of the venue and the fact that is centrally located.

Meanwhile, the San Juan Baptist Church is organizing an anti-abortion demonstration in Port Townsend, according to Muscutt. The silent demonstration is slated to take place from 2 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 6 at Water Street and Polk Street.

It is possible the protest will have a slant against Jefferson Healthcare. On a Facebook post of the Life Conference 2019 page, organizers wrote, “Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend has been performing abortions since 2016 and is to be a focus of future activism.”