Students walking near the Parks Library Wednesday afternoon were witness to an anti-abortion rally, whether they wanted to be or not.

Dan and Donna Holman, of Keokuk, and Randy Crawford, of Coralville, from the group Missionaries to the Preborn Iowa, stationed themselves outside the main entrance of Parks Library.

They brandished a large anti-abortion sign that depicted photographs of aborted fetuses and compared abortion in America to “Hitler’s Holocaust.” The other side of the sign read: “Apathy and indifference kills children.”

Crawford, dressed in a white smock with red stains, wore a sandwich board. Donna handed out pamphlets with information about their organization’s previous activities, religious explanations of their views, and more pictures of aborted fetuses.

Dan Holman, director of the organization, said the goal of their presence was to speak up for babies that are being aborted.

“A person is a person no matter how small,” he said. “They are entitled to equal protection under the law.”

Dan said his method of demonstration was to educate people as to what happened to aborted fetuses.

“These pictures are worth a thousand words,” Dan said. “Without pictures of the Holocaust, people wouldn’t have a good idea how bad it was. We make people accountable for their actions.”

Passing students had varied attitudes on the presence and approach of the organization.

Karla Wenthold, senior in child, adult and family studies, said she thought the approach was appropriate for the organization’s objective.

“If I thought abortion was OK [the signs] would gross me out and make me think twice of my decisions,” Wenthold said.

Brittany McAlexander, freshman in agriculture, said that although the pictures were shocking, the ISU campus was the place to present them.

“A lot of people who have abortions are in college,” McAlexander said. “This is a place to reach that target. If people don’t like the signs, they shouldn’t look.”

Other students weren’t as keen on the presentation.

“I feel like it’s very graphic and obnoxious and judgmental,” said Claire Davison, sophomore in biology.

Patrick Giguere, junior in pre-business, said he felt their point was moot.

“People have their minds made up,” he said. “Preaching about it won’t make a difference.”

Allison Walshire, freshman in liberal arts and sciences-open option, felt the pictures were inappropriate.

“I just think the pictures are explicit,” she said. “The views are private – they shouldn’t put them in such a public place.”

According to ISU regulations, the Missionaries to the Preborn Iowa are within their rights to demonstrate on campus.

“The regulations are open so long as there is no interference with ISU clubs and they can’t be in within university buildings,” said ISU Police Cmdr. Gene Deisinger.

Dan Holman is known for his online blogs, some of which include justification of violence in protecting unborn babies and claims that birth control causes infertility.

Donna Holman had an anti-abortion sign confiscated by Story County deputies while protesting at the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames in early August.