Draw an expectation from the inversion of Roe v. Wade in the United States, more than 10,000 pro-life advocates in Ireland marched on Saturday to call for restored protections for unborn babies in their country.
The Rally for Life in Dublin took place amid reports of rising abortion numbers and proposed legislation to further expand abortions.
“We need to offer women real options, not abortion,” organizers said. “The reversal of Roe v. Wade shows the value of staying the course.”
Niamh Uí Bhriain of The Life Institute said people in Ireland are “deeply unhappy” about the huge number of unborn babies being killed in abortions. In April, the Irish health minister reported more than 8,500 abortions in 2022, a 27-percent increase from 2019.
LifeNews is on GETTR. Please follow us for the latest pro-life news
Speaking to The Niall Boylan Podcast before the rally, Uí Bhriain said they often hear from people who regret voting to end the pro-life Eighth Amendment in 2018.
“People say I didn’t vote for it. I did not vote for this free for all,” she said.
At the rally, pro-life advocates of all ages carried signs and banners urging government leaders to “Stop abortion in our future,” the theme of the event.
According to The Irish Times, many are shouting, “Roe v Wade is overturned, come on Ireland it’s our turn!” in the streets as they marched. Pro-lifers in America have fought for almost 50 years to be reversed Roe. In June 2022, the US Supreme Court finally did, and now more than a dozen states protect unborn babies from abortion again.
10,000 people flocked to Dublin city center today in the Rally for Life, calling on the government to keep the 3 day waiting period before abortion and take action to tackle spiraling abortion rates.#stopabortingourfuture #RallyforLife pic.twitter.com/Zy3TPEYrLu
— Rallyforlife (@theRallyforLife) July 3, 2023
10,000 people flocked to Dublin city center today in the Rally for Life, calling on the government to keep the 3 day waiting period before abortion and take action to tackle spiraling abortion rates.#stopabortingourfuture #RallyforLife pic.twitter.com/yzCthyf4mr
— Rallyforlife (@theRallyforLife) July 3, 2023
In Ireland, abortions are legal for any reason up to the first trimester and later in certain circumstances. The law requires a three-day waiting period and provides some conscience protections for pro-life medical workers.
But pro-life leaders warned rally goers Saturday that even these minimal protections could be eroded. Government leaders are discussing legislation to allow abortions for any reason up to six months. Lawmakers could also eliminate the three-day waiting period and force doctors and nurses to abort unborn babies.
Here’s more from the Irish Times:
Peadar Tóibín, leader of Aontú [political party]told the crowd that “we are in the middle of a massive political battle here in Ireland” and most parties were pushing for “continued access to abortion”.
“The political establishment in Ireland was becoming increasingly authoritarian. Even the political parties of the centre, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, have also been caught up,” he said. “They set up an abortion review, but that review is a cumulative recommendation review to deliver what they want.”
said Dr. Trevor Hayes, an OB-GYN consultant in Ireland, whose country is already suffering from a shortage of medical workers, and by ending conscience protections, the government will hurt the very people it says it wants to help: women, Irish news site GRIPT reports.
Hayes said many doctors and nurses would quit rather than be forced to abort unborn babies.
“The majority of doctors in Ireland don’t perform abortions – nor do they want to,” says Hayes. “We know about that abortion is not Taking care of your health. Any act that ends a life is not Taking care of your health. Health care saves lives, not ends lives. Abortion does not serve women. This is a sign that we have really failed them.”
In 2018, Ireland voted to repeal its Eighth Amendment, which gave unborn babies the right to life. By the end of 2019, 6,666 unborn babies had been legally aborted in the country. Meanwhile, reports indicate that babies have survived abortions and possibly been left to die. However, there is no record of the number.
Most European countries allow unborn babies to be aborted for any reason in the first trimester and often later in limited circumstances. However, some, including Poland and Malta, protect unborn babies by banning abortion.
