Pro-lifers in Northern Ireland will be taking part in a protest against a “diabolical celebration of abortion” at Belfast City Hall.
The protest centres on the controversial decision to illuminate the City Hall in green on 28 September in support of “International Safe Abortion Day”. The decision was made democratically after Sinn Féin, the Alliance, the SDLP and the Green Party voted against the DUP on the matter 11 to 3.
“International Safe Abortion Day” originated in Latin America and is a decades-long campaign to remove restrictions on abortion.
Pro-life groups Precious Life and the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) have said that they will be protesting the illumination on 28 September.
Bernadette Smyth, director of Precious Life, said the illumination was tantamount to turning City Hall into “a billboard for abortion”.
“Public resources and ratepayers’ money must not be used to promote and celebrate the killing of unborn babies," she added.
Smyth also took issue with the idea that abortion could ever be safe.
“Abortion is never ‘safe’ because of the physical harm and psychological damage it causes women, and most definitely never ‘safe’ for the baby who is killed in every abortion," she said.
“If this diabolical celebration of abortion goes ahead, Precious Life will hold a public protest outside Belfast City Hall on the day of the illuminations to expose the horrific reality of abortion.”
Michael Robinson, executive director of SPUC, questioned the wisdom of lighting up City Hall over such a divisive issue. He said that such "celebrations of violence" must not be allowed to continue.
“The slaughter of children is not an issue that unites Belfast, and it is a disgrace that public money is being used to pretend it does," he said.
“Belfast should be united for life and for the most innocent in society."
SPUC is encouraging its supporters to contact councillors in Belfast to stop the illuminations and attend the protest.
