‘Life chain’ events across NI mark abortion law anniversary

Pro-life group Precious Life held a series of ‘life chains’ events across Northern Ireland on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the decriminalisation of abortion.
By Niall Deeney
Published 25th Oct 2020, 10:01 BST
Updated 25th Oct 2020, 11:01 BST
Bernadette Smyth delivers a speech at one of the 'Life Chains'Bernadette Smyth delivers a speech at one of the 'Life Chains'
Bernadette Smyth delivers a speech at one of the 'Life Chains'

A special event took place outside Stormont with guest speakers live-streamed on social media.

The events marked one year since legislation passed at Westminster to decriminalise abortion in Northern Ireland came into effect at midnight on October 21.

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Speaking outside Stormont, Director of Precious Life Bernadette Smyth said, “The theme of our Life Chains is ‘restore personhood’ for Northern Ireland’s unborn babies.

“We mark the first year anniversary of one of the darkest days in Northern Ireland history, when the Westminster Parliament forced abortion on Northern Ireland, aided and abetted by pro-abortion MLAs in our Assembly.”

She continued: “We held these life chains also in remembrance of the 664 babies killed in Northern Ireland since abortion was legalised.

“The Department of Health figures expose the hypocrisy of the government and pro-abortion MLAs in our Assembly. For the past six months we’ve been listening to them preaching to us about protecting and saving lives.

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“But the abortion law they implemented has now lead to the killing of 664 innocent unborn babies. They have allowed more lives to be lost to abortion than have been lost to the coronavirus in Northern Ireland.”

In a poignant display, hundreds of baby shoes, each with a boy or girls name pinned on them, were laid out on the ground in the shape of the number 664 — a reference to the number of abortions carried out in Northern Ireland.

Guest speakers at Stormont event were Fr Patrick McCafferty and retired Londonderry GP Dr Anne McCloskey. Also speaking were women hurt by abortion who gave their powerful testimonies.

A total of 17 life chain events were held in Northern Ireland, with another two in Belfast, and one in each of Londonderry, Armagh City, Newry, Antrim, Ballymena, Coleraine, Keady, Lurgan, Limavady, Magherafelt, Holywood, Downpatrick, Enniskillen, Dungannon, and Omagh.

Precious Life say each event adhered to government social distancing regulations limiting outdoor events to no more than 15 people.

Related topics:Northern IrelandMLAs