Record-breaking numbers of pro-lifers gathered in central London for the 11th annual March for Life, as over ten thousand pro-lifers marched, dwarfing a pro-abortion counter-demonstration.
Held on 6 September, pro-lifers of all ages marched in opposition to the UK’s abortion laws, which generally permit abortion up until 24 weeks gestation.
The March, which was described as “a peaceful and joy-filled demonstration of support for the unborn and their parents”, dwarfed a counter-protest from a pro-abortion group, which the organisers reported as being “a stark contrast noted by many onlookers”.
Co-director of the event, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who is currently being investigated for silently praying outside an abortion clinic for a third time, added “[T]he pro-life crowd exemplified the peace and joy of those who are confident that their cause is just, and their hope is rooted in something greater than politics”.
As of April this year, it has been estimated that almost eleven million unborn babies have lost their lives to abortion in the UK since 1968, when the Abortion Act 1967 came into effect. The theme of this year’s March for Life was “Human rights for all humans”.
Starting in the Emmanuel Centre in central London at 10am, as well as pro-life stalls – including a Right To Life UK stall – and activities, the March hosted a ‘Pro-life Human Rights Summit’.
The rally heard from a number of speakers, including Sara Spencer, a student midwife who was suspended for her pro-life views, and Carla Lockhart MP, Chair of the Pro-Life All-Party Parliamentary Group. Lockhart said “If human rights mean anything, they must be consistent, they must apply to all. If we are to see change, we must each play our part”.
“We are called to speak truth in love, to support mothers in crisis, to defend the defenceless, to stand even when it is unpopular and to be unashamed in saying: