‘Life Chains’ commemorate 664 babies aborted in NI

Pro-life group Precious Life held a series of gatherings across Northern Ireland to mark one year since abortion was controversially decriminalised in the North.

On October 21, 2019, Westminster’s Section 9 of the NI (Executive Formation) Act removed the laws that had protected unborn children in Northern Ireland.

Department of Health (DoH) figures released at the start of October 2020 revealed that 664 abortions were carried out in Northern Ireland since Section 9 was introduced.

Speaking outside Stormont, director of Precious Life Bernadette Smyth said that “we held these Life Chains also in remembrance of the 664 babies killed in Northern Ireland since abortion was legalised. The DoH figures expose the hypocrisy of the Government and pro-abortion MLAs in our Assembly.

“The theme of our Life Chains today is Restore Personhood for Northern Ireland’s unborn babies,” Ms Smyth continued: “We mark the first year anniversary of one of the darkest days in Northern Ireland history, when the Westminster Parliament forced abortion on Northern Ireland, aided and abetted by pro-abortion MLAs in our Assembly.”

As part of the protest, hundreds of baby shoes, each with a boy or girls name pinned on them, were laid out on the ground in the shape of the figures ‘664’.

Mrs Smyth concluded the event, saying: “As long as a single precious unborn baby is in danger, then our work is not yet finished. Our Life Chain events today sent out a clear message to our Assembly – Repeal Section 9 and Restore Personhood for Northern Ireland’s unborn children.”

Life Chains were held in 17 locations across Northern Ireland, including North and West Belfast, Derry City, Armagh City, Newry, Antrim, Ballymena, Coleraine, Keady, Lurgan, Limavady, Magherafelt, Holywood, Downpatrick, Enniskillen, Dungannon, and Omagh.

Each individual Life Chain adhered to government social distancing regulations allowing outdoor events of up to 15 people.