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CHICAGO, IL, August 17, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Last Friday, a pro-life “flash mob” launched a massive 75-foot floating LIFE balloon rosary over the streets of Chicago.

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The rosary, crafted of helium-filled yellow balloons bearing the word LIFE and a six-foot gold cross, was the work of 20 elementary-school-aged girls and their counselors from a summer camp at St. John Cantius Catholic parish. It was carried by the girls through downtown Chicago traffic following a prayer vigil in front of a local abortion clinic.

The floating rosary was the latest in a series of pro-life “flash mobs” utilizing the yellow balloons across the U.S.

In an interview with LifeSiteNews (LSN), Illinois Right to Life Committee Executive Director William Beckman noted the importance of last week’s public demonstration, pointing out that “abortion in Chicago is a big problem.”

“Of the 47,717 abortions committed in Illinois in 2008, 25,529 were committed on residents of Cook County, which comprises a large portion of the Chicago metro area”, he said. “That total does not include abortions committed in the Chicago area on residents of surrounding counties, over 6,400 more abortions. 

“This means that nearly two thirds of annual Illinois abortions occur in the Chicago metro area.”

Beckman also noted that many people from surrounding states come to Chicago to get abortions, including many teenagers “who can get abortions in Illinois without their parents’ knowledge because Illinois does not have a parental notice law in effect while the surrounding states do.”

As previously reported by LSN, a similar pro-life “flash mob” formed an honor guard for pro-life activist Joe Scheidler at an Evening of Tribute to the pro-life great, outshining a small pro-abortion counter-protest. Another pro-life “flash mob” surprised a Planned Parenthood rally in Chicago in February.

See brief video of just a small portion of the unique, high charged St. John Cantius youth group chant routines at the 2011 Washington March for Life.

“The pro-life flash mobs are putting a bright, new public face on the pro-life movement,” said Eric Scheidler, Pro-Life Action League Executive Director and son of Joe Scheidler.

“The abortion industry has sought for years to demonize pro-lifers, and many in the public have accepted that false picture uncritically,” Scheidler said. “Now these vibrant, optimistic, cheering flash mobs are demolishing the abortion lobby’s propaganda.”

“They’re also making it impossible for the ‘pro-choice’ movement to get any traction in their new effort to create a grassroots presence in our cities,” he said.

“Abortion supporters can see that the momentum has swung in favor of the pro-life side, and they’re doing everything they can to respond with events like the Walk for Choice earlier this year and the ugly protest of the tribute dinner for my father, veteran pro-life leader Joe Scheidler. But these pro-life youth are blocking their every move.”

In addition to Chicago-based pro-life “flash mobs”, others have occurred in Sacramento, CA, both in May and in July.