Belfast City Council has once again voted in favour of lighting up City Hall in support of abortion. The vote follows an earlier decision that was challenged on procedural grounds.
In August representatives of Sinn Féin, the Alliance, the SDLP and the Green Party voted against the DUP on lighting up City Hall in green 11 to 3. The illuminations were due to take place on 28 September in honour of “International Safe Abortion Day”.
At the time pro-life groups like the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) and Precious Life, denounced the move, with Bernadette Smyth, Director of Precious Life, describing it as a “diabolical celebration of abortion”.
A petition followed, but in the end it was a procedural move by the DUP that stopped the illuminations from going ahead. The DUP invoked a “call in”, effectively a legal review to examine whether a decision was made using improper procedures or could have a disproportionate impact on a specific segment of the community.
Critics of the plan to light up City Hall said it was inappropriate for a location meant to represent the whole community to be used to promote a highly contentious issue.
Now councillors have once again voted in favour of lighting up City Hall, this time at Easter.
In a statement Precious Life said it was seeking legal advice on the decision and on possible next steps.
“Precious Life condemn this latest attempt by the City Council to light up City Hall again - particularly given the significance of Easter, the most sacred time in the Christian calendar, when Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ," it said.
The group is considering legal options against the illuminations.
“This plan to light up Belfast City Hall to celebrate abortion is NOT IN OUR NAME. Abortion is not something to celebrate. Every unborn child is a precious human life worthy of protection," it said.
