Hundreds of pro-life protestors gathered outside Parliament in London today to mark the 50th anniversary of the Abortion Act.
They held a minute's silence to remember the 8.8 million lives lost through abortion since the Act was passed in 1967.
Lord Alton of Liverpool, the leading Catholic and pro-life peer, said: “What we mark today, is nothing less than the greatest shame of our nation. The fact that we neuter the protections in our laws for our tiniest countrymen and countrywomen is a horror and disgrace on a massive scale.
"We are here to signify that we are not going away, that we are not going to remain quiet while injustice occurs and we are not going to stop working and educating and championing and fighting until we live in a society where the humanity, dignity and the rights of every member of our nation are together recognised.”
The protests came as prominent Catholic MO Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he would back reducing the term limit on abortions by "as many weeks as possible". The Catholic Tory MP, being interviewed by BBC's Emma Barnett, reiterated his view that abortion is wrong in all circumstances, including after rape and incest.
He said: "A great wrong has been created at the point of a rape. The question is – does a second wrong make it any better?"
He continued: 'I'm against abortion. Full stop. I would support reducing the number of weeks... Life either begins at the point of concept or moment of birth. To fix a number of weeks is essentially arbitrary."
One of those at the protest, Sarah Barber, 29, said: “It was so encouraging to be out today with other young pro-lifers and to hear Lord Alton’s speech. You really got a sense of the handing on of the baton and that we’ve got to work at this together. I think it’s heartbreaking and difficult to get your head around the fact that 8.8 million people are not alive today because of the Abortion Act. That’s the same as the population of London. We should imagine London being deserted to really get a sense of what the world has lost.”
Earlier, photographs and statistics were projected onto Marble Arch in London illustrating the effects of the Abortion Act.
Anne Scanlan, director of education at the
Life charity, said: “We are heartened that so many pro-life organisations and supporters have come together to commemorate the 8.8 million lives lost through abortion and the generations of women who are mourning the loss of their children.
"After 50 years of ‘choice’, we do not see freedom, liberty and equality as promised. Instead, we see women face the same struggles but with little ‘choice’ on offer from society, other than abortion.
"Life will continue to help and support all women facing difficult and unplanned pregnancies as we have done for the last 47 years."
Scanlon said: "After years of scandalous revelations about health and safety risks to pregnant women in crisis, no one should be under any illusion about the real motives and interests of the abortion industry. As if it is not enough that abortion clinics have ended 8.8 million lives since 1967, at a rate of one life every three minutes, they are now demanding abortion on demand. The conditions of the Abortion Act which they have twisted, abused and blatantly flouted for many years, with impunity, now stand as business impediments to their agenda to expand their market for the termination of unborn children."
Life has spent almost five decades providing practical support to empower women to continue with their pregnancy.
Scanlon added: "There are thousands of people alive today because Life reached out to their mothers with the support needed at a time of crisis. We have responded to the abortion industry’s culture of death and maltreatment of women with a culture of life, compassion and respect for women and their unborn children. We will remain steadfast in our support of women in the face of increased intimidation from the abortion lobby at all levels. We will remain steadfast in the struggle to protect the unborn child. They should know....we are here to stay."
In its leader column marking the anniversary of the Act, The Tablet said: "All abortion is wrong. All human life is precious. On those simple principles there should be no uncertainty."
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