About 75 abortion rights opponents and 40 abortion rights advocates gathered at a State College medical center yesterday to support their respective positions on the right to choose.

The demonstrators held signs and stood peacefully on National Life Chain Sunday near the State College Medical Services Center, 900 W. College Ave. According to the Life Chain Web site, people in North America stand on designated sidewalks for one hour each year, holding signs with anti-abortion messages.

Meghan Ochs (senior-public relations) said she supports the center and what it provides for the community. She said it was important for her to let people know that there are people in the community who support abortion rights and that abortion rights opponents are not the only people who have a voice.

"Abortion rights is a hot topic, but it is important because it is not just about abortion but about individual choice," Ochs said. "No one should make that decision for you."

The abortion rights advocates stood in protest awaiting the abortion rights opponents for about an hour before the Life Chain protest began.

Sarah Crouse (sophomore-nursing) said she grew up in State College and has participated in the protest on National Life Chain Sunday as an abortion rights opponent every year she can remember. Crouse is a member of Faith Baptist Church, 660 Valley Vista Drive, but she said the protesters were from many area churches.

"The thing that brings us together is standing up for life and the unborn child," Crouse said.

State College resident Mary Bonson said she attended the protest to pray for the clinic's closing. Bonson is a member of Our Lady of Victory Church, 820 Westerly Parkway.

"It's murder; they are killing babies," said Bonson, who had protested before. "Today, we pray for life."

Crouse said the cause was important because it is a way for her to stand up for what she believes.

"Thousands of cars will drive by in the hour that we are here, and you never know if a girl may drive by who will be affected," Crouse said. "I can pray that it will make a difference, but not knowing doesn't mean I will stop."

However, Ochs said more people should support abortion rights because the alternative would be women dying from complications in "back-alley" abortions.

Marissa Rodriguez (senior-letters, arts and science), a member of the Feminist Action Coalition, which is a conglomeration of all Penn State and State College feminist groups, said she came out to counter-protest National Life Chain Sunday activists.

"I wanted to show people that there is support for pro-choice," Rodriguez said.

Cars drove by honking their horns in support of both groups of demonstrators, which prompted cheering and celebration that the messages were getting across.

Brendan McCall (senior-English and women's studies), an abortion rights advocate, said the counter-protest had been planned for about a month.

"The Life Chain is a national day of action, and we wanted to have a statement against it," McCall said.

McCall said organizers wanted to keep the message positive but said the protest was essential to give his side of the story, because abortion rights opponents protest with signs every Saturday.

A clinic worker who was approached for comment declined because she wanted to protect her identity.