Thousands march through London for the unborn

The Catholic Bishop of Lancaster Paul Swarbrick addressing March For Life UK in front of the Houses of Parliament on 4 September 2021.(Photo: March For Life UK)

March For Life UK brought thousands of people with a pro-life message to London over the weekend.

The march, held each year, took place under the banner of 'Life at conception, no exceptions'. 

It made its way through Trafalgar Square and culminated in Parliament Square, where the marchers knelt in prayer for the unborn.

Organisers put the numbers in attendance in the "thousands".

Addressing the crowds, the Catholic Bishop of Lancaster Paul Swarbrick, spoke about the contradiction between the reality of abortion and the government slogan of saving lives during the pandemic - when abortion laws were relaxed.

"Some years ago, in the 1960s, we abolished the death penalty for the guilty. Why do we still have it for the innocent?" he said.

"It seems obvious that it's only some that are being saved ... All lives matter and it's not that some matter more than others but some do need that bit more love and loving.

"They are so easily overlooked, they are so easily told that your life really doesn't matter. You could be an inconvenience. You could be a threat to my lifestyle. You could bring me shame. You could bring me guilt.

"No, all lives matter, but some need more care than others."

Evangelical pastor Ebow Essel, from Basingstoke, made similar observations.

He recalled his time as an infantry soldier in the British Army, when he was given 'Card Alpha', which defines the rules of engagement and prohibits the unlawful killing of the enemy, for example after they have surrendered.

"Card Alpha prevents you from taking that life, which is considered as innocent - and that person was an enemy you were fighting against a few minutes ago," he explained.

"As I thought through this, I thought 'oh my word', that an enemy can be considered as an innocent life, one who has killed someone a few minutes ago, and you were obligated by law to not take their life.

"How much more an unborn baby in the womb who hasn't killed anyone, who hasn't threatened anyone, who is not a threat to life.

"And that was when I saw that there is something wrong with this, that we are sitting back to see daily the slaughter of innocent babies in wombs."