Both sides of the abortion debate occupied Wood Street on Wednesday, thanks to the screening of the hotly contested pro-life film Unplanned at the Yukon Cinema Centre.

“It's their right to protest, and we have the right to see a movie,” said Linda Thompson, the film screening’s organizer.

She organized two showings of the film for Wednesday and this Saturday in partnership with Landmark Cinemas.

In response to the viewing, a peaceful protest was organized Wednesday on the front lawn of Molotov and Bricks Tattoo and Kutters.

The film, coveted by faith-based and anti-abortion groups and panned by pro-choice groups, has been the focus of protests across the country since its Canadian debut last month.

The movie, based on the memoir of Abby Johnson, tells of a Planned Parenthood clinic director who becomes an anti-abortion activist.

Johnson claims the organization pressured employees into pushing for more abortions to enrich profit margins.

Eventually, Johnson says viewing an abortion on ultrasound pushed her to leave the company and join the other side of the argument. 

The film contains graphic scenes of the abortion process. The women in Unplanned suffer bloody, painful procedures with complications that are swept under the rug by insensitive doctors.

The portrayal has been publicly disputed by members of the medical community as fear-mongering propaganda, fuelling the fire of debate.

Unplanned was produced by Christian production company Pure Flix and released in the United States last March.

The movie was originally rejected by film distribution giants Landmark and Cineplex, effectively banning it in Canada. In July, Cineplex reversed its decision with an open letter from CEO Ellis Jacob.

“In this instance, many of us will have to set aside our own personal beliefs and remember that living in a country that censors content, opinions and points of view because they are different from our own is not a country that any of us would want to live in,” Jacob wrote. “It is up to each of us to decide whether or not we want to see it.” 

The film was rated 14-A in most parts of Canada and screened at almost 60 theatre houses. Thompson said when she reached out to Landmark’s Yukon Cinema, it was “happy to find the time” for Unplanned. 

Thompson added she was pleased the event came together.

“I believe it’s the right thing to do,” she said. “It’s a true story, and I think it deserves to be shown in a public place.”

Thompson hoped that the screening would welcome all points of view to open discussion.

“There are people outside protesting the fact that we’re seeing a movie. It shows that our freedoms are being slowly taken away from us, and the thought of pro-life is being squashed,” Thompson said. 

“When people talk about pro-choice, there has to be a second choice. There has to be more choices to choose from.”

Thompson is the mother of two teenage sons, one of whom she said will come with her to Saturday’s screening.

Keith Dye attended the film’s screening Wednesday. He told the Star he annually spends the winter doing missionary work with the Sonora Evangelical Ministry in Mexico, where abortions are expensive and severely restricted in most areas.

Dye said he is anti-abortion, and curious to see if the film would confirm his beliefs.

“I believe full-term abortion is murder,” Dye said. “I don’t believe in abortion, period, but I wouldn’t stand here and protest it.

“The (protestors) across the street believe it should be totally legal and taxpayers should pay for it, and I don’t think that’s correct.”

As film attendees filed into cinema seats for the 3:30 p.m. show, about 70 people gathered in the lawn of Molotov and Brick Tattoo and Kutters across the street for a protest and barbecue.

The event was advertised on social media under the hashtags #eatburgers and #fightbigots and called for “sharing productive dialogue, and making positive noise against propaganda films based on lies and religious agendas.”

“Our goal today is just to be louder than the attention that’s going on over there,” said Kirsty Wells, Molotov and Brick’s co-owner.

“We’re going to do that by being fun, being peaceful and bringing together a community.

“That means having good conversation, good eats, and just engaging people with the topic of abortion and sexual health in the Yukon.” 

The protesters ate burgers and wrote pro-choice messages on banners at the event’s sign-making station.

“I came to support my sisters out there,” said attendee Thor Stewart.

“I think it’s crazy that this needs to happen, but these are the issues of our times, so people need to speak about these things.”

Lenore Morris, the Yukon’s Green Party candidate in the upcoming federal election, told the Star she attended the rally to stand up for a female’s right to abortion, a right that was introduced in Canada in her lifetime.

“We’ve been in this limbo,” Morris said of abortion laws in Canada.

“No new legislation has been enacted (in the past 31 years), and things have been OK, but there’s huge potential for backsliding.”

Many event attendees and organizers don’t object to anybody seeing the film, Morris added.

“That’s their choice,” she said. “All we’re trying to do today is say there’s a lot of people who feel differently; who believe in a woman’s right to choose.”

Despite divided opinions, those on both sides of the street seemed to agree with the other’s right to gather.

“It’s just a movie, and (the protestors) can choose not to see it,” Thompson said.

“But if they chose to come, I would buy them a ticket.”