Hundreds of students join pro-life walkout but U.S. media coverage was silent

Hundred of students joined a pro-life walkout across U.S. high schools and universities last Wednesday but compared to other recent protests, the U.S. media was noticeably silent in its coverage.

Groups such as the Students for Life America, the Family Research Council, the Massachusetts Family Institute and Oklahoma Teens for Life sponsored the walkout to call for the end of abortion practices and the defunding of Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion.

About 350 students from 191 high schools and 81 colleges across the country participated in the event, although it has been reported that the number could have been higher as the number only recorded those who had officially registered as participants.

Kristan Hawkins from the Students for Life of America cited that Planned Parenthood aborts 880 babies every single day. She also accused the organization of its "predatory business" practices that target millennials.

The pro-life walkout, however, earned little attention from the U.S. media. California Rocklin High School student Brandon Gillespie, who also helped organize the anti-gun protest last March, said the lack of coverage highlighted a double standard.

"They are not giving me any accommodation at all except for the district policy of not punishing students for protesting," Gillespie said. "I asked for the same accommodation as the anti-gun protest, that teachers would be flexible [with] their lesson planning, and also for the availability of equipment that the anti-gun protestors were allowed to use."

According to the Media Research Center, top networks like ABC, CBS and NBC did not mention the pro-life and anti-abortion rally on April 11 at all. In comparison, these same networks gave 10 minutes of airtime during the anti-gun protests last March 24. 

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