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Nancy Flanders
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Pro-lifers march to Belfast City Hall as pro-abortion demostration is canceled
On September 28, Belfast City Hall was scheduled to be illuminated green in “celebration” of International Safe Abortion Day, but this plan was thwarted just days before. To me, and to so many others who attended a pro-life demonstration that night outside city hall, the prospect of using one of Belfast’s most prominent civic buildings to mark abortion felt immensely wrong.
On September 28, pro-lifers marched to Belfast City Hall in support of preborn babies.
The event was in response to a plan to light up City Hall green in celebration of International Safe Abortion Day.
The planned pro-abortion lighting never happened due to a procedural intervention by the Democratic Unionist Party.
According to the BBC, a procedural intervention by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) likely thwarted plans to illuminate Belfast City Hall, with the DUP invoking the council’s “call-in” mechanism before the event was due to proceed.
Under the procedure, 15% of councillors can initiate a call-in if they argue a decision was made without proper consideration—referred to as procedural grounds—or would have an unequal effect on part of the district, known as community-impact grounds.
Once triggered, the council may seek legal advice to review the decision.
As the day unfolded, hundreds convened in Belfast’s Donegall Place for a public witness organized by Precious Life, Northern Ireland’s leading pro-life organization.
The group represented a broad cross-section of society—spanning generations, faith communities, political viewpoints, and lived experiences—yet who were united by a shared belief that all human beings, from fertilization onward, possess intrinsic worth.
From the outset, the gathering was notable for its diversity and sense of purpose. Families mingled with students, seniors stood alongside young parents, and Catholic clergy joined residents determined to make their voices heard.
Some participants travelled from outside Belfast, while others arrived directly after their workday. Banners and placards were visible throughout the crowd, and white LED lights were passed from person to person.
As evening set in, the small lights assumed a significant meaning. Gradually, they illuminated the deepening darkness over Belfast, and the group began its walk through the city center toward City Hall.
The procession was calm, deliberate, and deeply impactful. It did not feel like a routine public gathering or a merely ceremonial gesture; it was an act of public witness. Each light carried by a participant expressed the belief that unborn children have dignity and should not be disregarded or treated as expendable.
Looking along the route at the continuous line of white lights, I felt renewed hope. In a society where abortion is increasingly presented in positive terms, the march showed that many people are still prepared to speak publicly in support of mothers and their preborn children.
When the group reached Belfast City Hall, the sight was unforgettable.
In front of the unlit building, hundreds of participants raised their own white lights in support of the message, “Choose Life.” The juxtaposition was unmistakable: a public landmark expected to feature in a pro-abortion campaign instead formed the backdrop to a large, peaceful demonstration in support of preborn babies.
For me, that was the emotional center of the night. I stood facing City Hall and contemplated the thousands of preborn children whose lives hinged on whether adults recognized their humanity. I thought about women who are facing difficult pregnancies, who may feel alone, pressured, frightened, or convinced that they have no real alternatives to abortion.
A genuinely compassionate society should never tell a woman that ending the life of her child is her only path forward. It should offer practical support, emotional care, housing, financial help, friendship, and hope.
Precious Life ensured its position was highly visible across Belfast. A truck fitted with a large digital display travelled through the city carrying the messages “CHOOSE LIFE” and “ABORTION? NOT IN OUR NAME.” When the crowd later assembled at City Hall, the vehicle was stationed prominently at the entrance gates, its illuminated slogans visible to pedestrians and passing motorists in the city center.
Such visibility was crucial. Too often, the pro-life movement is portrayed as though it speaks only for a small minority. Yet the demonstration that evening displayed something different: there are many people in Northern Ireland who oppose the notion that abortion should be publicly celebrated. Tens of thousands of people had signed a petition spearheaded by Precious Life resisting the proposed illumination of City Hall.
Moreover, the gathering included speakers from across the pro-life movement.
Councillors Tracy Kelly and Ron McDowell, who had opposed the proposed illumination during the council process, addressed the crowd.
Former DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr., Aontú representative Aiden Carlin, Liberty NI’s Nathan Anderson, and Barry Mallett of Guardians of the Faith were also among those who spoke. Their presence reinforced the fact that concern for preborn children crosses organizational and political boundaries.
Additionally, Adele Best spoke about her experience with abortion and the harm it caused in her own life. Her testimony brought a necessary human reality to a debate that is too often reduced to slogans.
In remarks to Live Action News after her speech, Best said:
“I have had two abortions. I was told it was safe and that I would get on with my life. It was not safe for my children, and it was not safe for me. After the first, I sank into depression and dark thoughts I never want another woman to experience. The second time, I was pressured into it by my boyfriend. There was no real choice.
But God did not leave me there. The Holy Spirit healed me, set me free from shame, and showed me my children are safe with Him. That's why I speak. Women and men who have been through abortion need to know there is healing, forgiveness, and hope. And any woman facing that decision today needs to know she is not alone and there is help."
Likewise, Liam Gibson, the Policy and Legal Officer of Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), remarked:
“The proposal to light up Belfast City Hall in green originally came from the National Women's Council of Ireland, a group with close ties to the New York-based Centre for Reproductive Rights (CRR). The color green was chosen to link this campaign with the so-called Green Wave Movement that is dedicated to legalizing abortion across South America...
[T]o claim that there is an obligation under international law to legalize abortion is a total lie. In fact, both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child recognize that ‘the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth…’ It’s also a lie to claim that legalizing abortion makes it safe."
He added:
The proposal to light up Belfast City Hall to celebrate abortion backfired spectacularly. Not only was the plan halted, but it brought hundreds of people onto the streets to defend the right to life of the most vulnerable members of the human family.
Notably, a pregnant mother named Emma took the stage. An ultrasound Doppler was placed against her abdomen, and through the public-address system, her baby’s heartbeat sounded across the area outside Belfast City Hall.
For a few moments, everyone listened to her baby's steady, distinct, and undeniable heartbeat. It carried across the very civic space where an abortion-related display had been planned. As I took in the gathered crowd, the lights held aloft, and City Hall illuminated in white, the contrast felt especially powerful: abstract public language about abortion juxtaposed against the immediate, tangible sound of a baby’s heartbeat.
That was why the evening mattered.
The gathering concluded with a musical performance by Rachel Shields, while the mood throughout remained calm, reflective, and steadfast. Even as the crowd dispersed, white lights still shone around the gates of City Hall.
“Instead of Belfast City Hall becoming the backdrop for a celebration of abortion, the evening became the backdrop for an extraordinary public witness for life. Hundreds of people. Hundreds of lights," said Director of Precious Life Bernadette Smyth. "A giant CHOOSE LIFE message. A baby's heartbeat sounding across Belfast. And one united voice saying: WE CHOOSE LIFE. We showed Belfast that the voice for LIFE cannot simply be ignored," she said. "Last night was a powerful reminder of what can happen when people stand together with courage, determination, and hope. Our work continues and our message remains as clear as ever: CHOOSE LIFE.”
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
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·Pro-lifers march to Belfast City Hall as pro-abortion demostration is canceled
On September 28, Belfast City Hall was scheduled to be illuminated green in “celebration” of International Safe Abortion Day, but this plan was thwarted just days before. To me, and to so many others who attended a pro-life demonstration that night outside city hall, the prospect of using one of Belfast’s most prominent civic buildings to mark abortion felt immensely wrong.
On September 28, pro-lifers marched to Belfast City Hall in support of preborn babies.
The event was in response to a plan to light up City Hall green in celebration of International Safe Abortion Day.
The planned pro-abortion lighting never happened due to a procedural intervention by the Democratic Unionist Party.
According to the BBC, a procedural intervention by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) likely thwarted plans to illuminate Belfast City Hall, with the DUP invoking the council’s “call-in” mechanism before the event was due to proceed.
Under the procedure, 15% of councillors can initiate a call-in if they argue a decision was made without proper consideration—referred to as procedural grounds—or would have an unequal effect on part of the district, known as community-impact grounds.
Once triggered, the council may seek legal advice to review the decision.
As the day unfolded, hundreds convened in Belfast’s Donegall Place for a public witness organized by Precious Life, Northern Ireland’s leading pro-life organization.
The group represented a broad cross-section of society—spanning generations, faith communities, political viewpoints, and lived experiences—yet who were united by a shared belief that all human beings, from fertilization onward, possess intrinsic worth.
From the outset, the gathering was notable for its diversity and sense of purpose. Families mingled with students, seniors stood alongside young parents, and Catholic clergy joined residents determined to make their voices heard.
Some participants travelled from outside Belfast, while others arrived directly after their workday. Banners and placards were visible throughout the crowd, and white LED lights were passed from person to person.
As evening set in, the small lights assumed a significant meaning. Gradually, they illuminated the deepening darkness over Belfast, and the group began its walk through the city center toward City Hall.
The procession was calm, deliberate, and deeply impactful. It did not feel like a routine public gathering or a merely ceremonial gesture; it was an act of public witness. Each light carried by a participant expressed the belief that unborn children have dignity and should not be disregarded or treated as expendable.
Looking along the route at the continuous line of white lights, I felt renewed hope. In a society where abortion is increasingly presented in positive terms, the march showed that many people are still prepared to speak publicly in support of mothers and their preborn children.
When the group reached Belfast City Hall, the sight was unforgettable.
In front of the unlit building, hundreds of participants raised their own white lights in support of the message, “Choose Life.” The juxtaposition was unmistakable: a public landmark expected to feature in a pro-abortion campaign instead formed the backdrop to a large, peaceful demonstration in support of preborn babies.
For me, that was the emotional center of the night. I stood facing City Hall and contemplated the thousands of preborn children whose lives hinged on whether adults recognized their humanity. I thought about women who are facing difficult pregnancies, who may feel alone, pressured, frightened, or convinced that they have no real alternatives to abortion.
A genuinely compassionate society should never tell a woman that ending the life of her child is her only path forward. It should offer practical support, emotional care, housing, financial help, friendship, and hope.
Precious Life ensured its position was highly visible across Belfast. A truck fitted with a large digital display travelled through the city carrying the messages “CHOOSE LIFE” and “ABORTION? NOT IN OUR NAME.” When the crowd later assembled at City Hall, the vehicle was stationed prominently at the entrance gates, its illuminated slogans visible to pedestrians and passing motorists in the city center.
Such visibility was crucial. Too often, the pro-life movement is portrayed as though it speaks only for a small minority. Yet the demonstration that evening displayed something different: there are many people in Northern Ireland who oppose the notion that abortion should be publicly celebrated. Tens of thousands of people had signed a petition spearheaded by Precious Life resisting the proposed illumination of City Hall.
Moreover, the gathering included speakers from across the pro-life movement.
Councillors Tracy Kelly and Ron McDowell, who had opposed the proposed illumination during the council process, addressed the crowd.
Former DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr., Aontú representative Aiden Carlin, Liberty NI’s Nathan Anderson, and Barry Mallett of Guardians of the Faith were also among those who spoke. Their presence reinforced the fact that concern for preborn children crosses organizational and political boundaries.
Additionally, Adele Best spoke about her experience with abortion and the harm it caused in her own life. Her testimony brought a necessary human reality to a debate that is too often reduced to slogans.
In remarks to Live Action News after her speech, Best said:
“I have had two abortions. I was told it was safe and that I would get on with my life. It was not safe for my children, and it was not safe for me. After the first, I sank into depression and dark thoughts I never want another woman to experience. The second time, I was pressured into it by my boyfriend. There was no real choice.
But God did not leave me there. The Holy Spirit healed me, set me free from shame, and showed me my children are safe with Him. That's why I speak. Women and men who have been through abortion need to know there is healing, forgiveness, and hope. And any woman facing that decision today needs to know she is not alone and there is help."
Likewise, Liam Gibson, the Policy and Legal Officer of Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), remarked:
“The proposal to light up Belfast City Hall in green originally came from the National Women's Council of Ireland, a group with close ties to the New York-based Centre for Reproductive Rights (CRR). The color green was chosen to link this campaign with the so-called Green Wave Movement that is dedicated to legalizing abortion across South America...
[T]o claim that there is an obligation under international law to legalize abortion is a total lie. In fact, both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child recognize that ‘the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth…’ It’s also a lie to claim that legalizing abortion makes it safe."
He added:
The proposal to light up Belfast City Hall to celebrate abortion backfired spectacularly. Not only was the plan halted, but it brought hundreds of people onto the streets to defend the right to life of the most vulnerable members of the human family.
Notably, a pregnant mother named Emma took the stage. An ultrasound Doppler was placed against her abdomen, and through the public-address system, her baby’s heartbeat sounded across the area outside Belfast City Hall.
For a few moments, everyone listened to her baby's steady, distinct, and undeniable heartbeat. It carried across the very civic space where an abortion-related display had been planned. As I took in the gathered crowd, the lights held aloft, and City Hall illuminated in white, the contrast felt especially powerful: abstract public language about abortion juxtaposed against the immediate, tangible sound of a baby’s heartbeat.
That was why the evening mattered.
The gathering concluded with a musical performance by Rachel Shields, while the mood throughout remained calm, reflective, and steadfast. Even as the crowd dispersed, white lights still shone around the gates of City Hall.
“Instead of Belfast City Hall becoming the backdrop for a celebration of abortion, the evening became the backdrop for an extraordinary public witness for life. Hundreds of people. Hundreds of lights," said Director of Precious Life Bernadette Smyth. "A giant CHOOSE LIFE message. A baby's heartbeat sounding across Belfast. And one united voice saying: WE CHOOSE LIFE. We showed Belfast that the voice for LIFE cannot simply be ignored," she said. "Last night was a powerful reminder of what can happen when people stand together with courage, determination, and hope. Our work continues and our message remains as clear as ever: CHOOSE LIFE.”
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Nancy Flanders
·Activism
Isabella Childs
·International
Angeline Tan
·International
Bridget Sielicki
·Guest Column
Bryan Lawrence Gonsalves
·Human Interest
Angeline Tan
·International
Angeline Tan
·Human Interest
Angeline Tan
·Human Interest
Angeline Tan
·Activism
Angeline Tan
·Activism
Angeline Tan
·