Wednesday July 7, 2010
Thousands Rally for Life in Belfast
By Hilary White
BELFAST, July 7, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Thousands rallying for life in Belfast on Saturday were warned that the most immediate threat to the country’s pro-life ethos is legislation that would allow the use of living embryonic human beings for experimentation. The legislation is expected to be announced by Health Minister Mary Harney in the fall.
In what was described as a “jubilant atmosphere” with balloons, flags, banners and music, four thousand marched through the city centre that had been blocked to traffic by police. Participants report that, as with many such events in the US and Canada, the majority of those present were young people, who danced and sang as they walked through the city centre.
Organised by a coalition of pro-life groups including Precious Life, Youth Defence and the Life Institute, the rally was hailed as one of the largest in the history of Ireland’s pro-life movement. At the meeting place in Custom House Square, speakers from Ireland, England and the US urged those present to continue the fight for life in Ireland.
Organiser Bernadette Smyth of Precious Life said they were “overwhelmed by the turnout.” “I am thrilled with how the day went,” Smyth said.
“It was so exhilarating to see such a massive, colourful pro-life display. This was one of the largest pro-life rallies that Ireland has ever seen. We sent out a clear message to the world that we will continue working and praying, not only to keep abortion illegal, but make abortion unthinkable.”
Catholic League Director, Anthony Murphy told LifeSiteNews.com, “It was uplifting to be with so many young people who had taken the time to march for life. Their presence in numbers shows that the culture of life is strong in Ireland and crosses the generation gap.
“It serves notice on Mary Harney that the youth of Ireland will resist her attempts to bring the culture of death to our shores.”
Murphy said that the only disappointment was the absence of coverage from the mainstream media. Murphy, editor of the magazine Catholic Voice, said it is “typical” that they “chose to ignore” the rally.
“Contrast this with the extensive coverage given to the loud pornographic display which took place a week earlier during the gay pride march in Dublin where far fewer took part,” he said. “It is another example of the Irish media being highly selective in their reporting and shows their bias against life issues.”
Niamh Uí Bhriain of the Life Institute said that her group will be organising an education campaign against the legislation that will start immediately. She urged the country’s pro-life majority to work to ensure that proposed legislation would ban embryo research and the deliberate destruction of human embryos created, but not used, in IVF procedures.
The campaign aims to reach 600,000 or more people in the next twelve weeks.
Uí Bhriain said she hopes that the people of Ireland will send a message to their leaders: “You will not kill our children, at any stage, in any place, not in our country and not in our name.”
This week, Youth Defence kicks off its National Pro-Life Roadshow that will visit 20 towns and cities in 10 days. Up to 70 young people will take part in the event, which reaches many thousands of people each year.