More than 500 students signed a petition criticizing Students for Life’s use of the word genocide to tie together its prominent display of aborted fetus photos adjacent to Holocaust victims, which draws intense criticism from students each year.

Students for Life uses its annual Genocide Awareness Project to convey the group’s belief that abortion is another form of genocide, similar to the Holocaust – a distinction that senior journalism major Adena Raub said caused her immense distress. But this year, Raub took action, garnering support from more than 551 students as of press time who signed a petition titled “I Am Insulted by the Exploitation of the Holocaust for Political Gain.”

“I was appalled,” Raub said. “I believe any photos of genocide anywhere used for political gain is wrong.”

The Genocide Awareness Project demonstration made its yearly return to Hornbake Mall on Tuesday and ran through Thursday. Its displays included the photos of bloodied fetuses alongside mass graves of Holocaust victims, black people hanging in trees and dead Rwandan and Cambodian children.

But Students for Life president and senior biology major Pamela Brozowski said the group is only working to promote awareness about abortion.

“Our goal is not to demean the victims of the Holocaust,” Brozowski said, “but to elevate the victims of abortion.”

The petition began after Raub’s three years of discontent with the project’s use of the word “genocide” in conjuction with abortion, as well as the Holocaust depictions on display. Raub, the descendant of Holocaust survivors, heard stories about the Holocaust her entire life. She said her family reserves the utmost respect for the victims, and she said when she first encountered the demonstration her freshman year, she was shocked.

Raub presented the petition to Brozowski earlier Thursday with 490 signatures and explained her reasoning for starting it.

“I listened to her read her petition, but when I asked her if I could read her something, she refused,” Brozowski said. “I can’t do anything if they aren’t willing to talk to us.”

Many students who signed the petition said they understood Students for Life’s right to demonstrate but said they felt the display was counterproductive and did not help explain the pro-life message.

“I think that taking something out of history that can affect so many pepole, it is very offensive and deters form their message,” said Noah Allen, a senior criminology and criminal justice and Jewish studies major and president of the Jewish Student Union.

Senior accounting major Jacob Cohen agreed and said it’s important for the group to understand it is offending people with its current approach.

“There are ways they can do what they are doing without doing that,” Cohen said. “They are trying to make a stretch connection.”

Those who signed the petition, which is neither pro-life nor pro-choice, said they hope it will inspire Students for Life to take the Genocide Awareness Project off its agenda for next year.

But Brozowski said it’s provactive demonstrations like the Genocide Awareness Project that can inspire change.

“People largely ignored the Holocaust until they saw pictures,” Brozowski said. “We use pictures to show people what [abortion] is.”

Contact Patsy Morrow at newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu.