ActivismRead Next
International
Catholic hospital in Nova Scotia drops religious affiliation as death culture takes hold
Cassy Cooke
·Spotlight Articles
Northern Ireland pro-life group takes message across the country
Northern Ireland’s largest pro-life group, Precious Life, concluded its yearly summer roadshow around the country, just as the Belfast City Council is about to vote on a highly contentious plan to illuminate the Belfast City Hall in green for the so-called “International Safe Abortion Day.”
Precious Life launched their annual Pro-Life Roadshow in August.
The tour brings pro-life displays to town centers and abortion facilities across Northern Ireland.
Precious Life is opposing the Belfast City Council's decision to light up City Hall green in honor of abortion.
Precious Life’s “Summer Pro-Life Roadshow 2026” got underway at the start of August, as teams of pro-life volunteers brought the message of life directly to the public on the streets of Belfast and other towns, rain or shine.
The entire month saw the roadshows become a characteristic in selected town centers and outside abortion facilities across Northern Ireland, with volunteers engaging passers-by, sharing information about preborn children, and encouraging signatures on a petition for the “Repeal of Section 9” of the Executive Formation Act, as well as the re-establishment of full legal personhood for all preborn babies in Northern Ireland.
The group states on its website, "Following the unjust and draconian imposition of one of Europe’s most extreme and permissive abortion laws, the only way Northern Ireland can become pro-life again is through the repeal of this horrific law."
During a roadshow in Belfast on August 29, Bernadette Smyth, founder and director of Precious Life, said, “It rained all day in Belfast today, but our commitment to being a voice for truth and justice continues regardless.”
Smyth thanked supporters who prayed, volunteered, donated, and shared the “Repeal of Section 9” campaign online, portraying the enthusiasm witnessed in these as “only possible because people like you stand behind this mission.”
The response to Precious Life’s roadshows has been encouraging, even in smaller towns like Newry.
“Newry is a quiet town, but we are very happy at the response we are receiving,” Smyth said, referencing the group’s August 28 witness outside the Daisy Hill abortion facility in Newry, as well as its street outreach in the town center.
“Our presence is a reminder that true compassion means protecting life, not ending it," Precious Life wrote on its Facebook page. "Every conversation we have is another opportunity to speak for the unborn and remind our communities that every human life is valuable, precious, and worth protecting from the moment of conception."
Precious Life also visited Derry, Portrush, Ballymena, and Lisburn, with hundreds of people stopping to speak with volunteers and sign petitions to resist pro-abortion laws.
On August 21, Timothy Gaston MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) of the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), who stood with the Precious Life team in support of their campaign to restore personhood protections, joined pro-life roadshow volunteers on the ground in Ballymena.
Smyth described the roadshow in Ballymena as “a powerful day of public engagement and a clear reminder that many people still want their voices heard on this crucial issue (of abortion).”
On 12 August, Precious Life also brought its roadshow to the seaside town of Portrush to reach out to a community that the organization does not regularly visit during the year.
Smyth told Live Action News:
“We had great conversations with many young people, who clearly understand that an unborn child is a human being from the moment of conception. We are wearing this T-shirt to help make abortion unthinkable. If we do not change the culture, and if we continue voting for nationalist and republican parties that support abortion up to the moment of birth, the situation will only get worse, and abortion rates will continue to rise.
Precious Life will continue to stand for mothers and their unborn children. We will keep battling and fighting until abortion is unthinkable and every unborn child is protected."
Precious Life is also showcasing long-term demographic concerns in Northern Ireland. By summer 2027, the number of pensioners in Northern Ireland is poised to exceed the number of children, with deaths slated to surpass births by 2030, igniting worries about pressures on health care, social services, and schools.
For Precious Life, the answer to Northern Ireland’s demographic crisis lies in a cultural and legal shift that prioritizes the protection of all human lives, including unborn lives, from the moment of conception.
While pro-life volunteers are on the streets engaging the public about the horrors of abortion and the importance of protecting preborn life, a standoff between pro-lifers and the Belfast authorities is ensuing over Belfast City Hall.
As Live Action News previously reported, a controversial proposal to illuminate the landmark Belfast City Hall building in green to commemorate “International Safe Abortion Day” on Monday, September 28, was voted through at a council committee. About 20,000 people signed a petition against the move; however, the final vote was cast in favor of illuminating the building.
The pro-abortion National Women’s Council of Ireland submitted a request to illuminate the building, claiming that “International Safe Abortion Day” is a day to mark access to “safe and legal abortion care.”
Precious Life lambasted the plan as turning City Hall into “a billboard for abortion" and has kickstarted an action alert urging the public to contact the council and register formal complaints. Smyth said:
"We are inviting Christian and pro-life organizations across Northern Ireland to stand together and send Belfast City Council a clear message: City Hall is not a billboard for abortion. Catholic, Protestant, evangelical, pro-life, and community groups are being asked to add their names to this important open letter. The more united our voice, the harder it will be for the Belfast City Council to ignore it. Illuminating City Hall would inevitably be seen as an endorsement by the Belfast City Council of abortion and of a particular political campaign.
For thousands of people across Northern Ireland, abortion represents the loss of an innocent child, while Christians and people of faith believe that every unborn child has inherent dignity and worth. Whatever one’s position on abortion, a publicly owned civic landmark should not be used to promote or celebrate one side of such a divisive issue."
If the illumination proceeds, Precious Life has pledged a public protest outside City Hall on September 28 “to expose the horrific reality of abortion.” The group is joined in resistance by the DUP, whose council group leader, Sarah Bunting, said:
"Abortion is not safe for the unborn child whose life is ended, and that fundamental truth should not be lost behind the language being used to promote this campaign. International Safe Abortion Day is a contradiction. Its organizers are campaigning for the removal of restrictions around abortion, a political objective many people across Belfast profoundly disagree with.
Belfast City Hall belongs to everyone and should not be used as a billboard to promote one side of such a campaign. We make no apology for standing up for the value of both lives and for the unborn child who has no voice in this debate."
All in all, the annual Precious Life “Summer Pro-Life Roadshow” is more than a mere token opposition to abortion. Rather, it is an explicit, public, and sustained presence in communities that have witnessed abortion facilities increase under present government laws.
Precious Life is attempting to regularize and promote pro-life advocacy in public spaces, and to keep the preborn child at the heart of the abortion debate.
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!
Cassy Cooke
·
Activism
Nancy Flanders
·
Human Interest
Angeline Tan
·
Activism
Cassy Cooke
·
Guest Column
Mark Lee Dickson
·
Analysis
Angeline Tan
·Human Interest
Angeline Tan
·
Human Interest
Angeline Tan
·
International
Angeline Tan
·Northern Ireland pro-life group takes message across the country
Northern Ireland’s largest pro-life group, Precious Life, concluded its yearly summer roadshow around the country, just as the Belfast City Council is about to vote on a highly contentious plan to illuminate the Belfast City Hall in green for the so-called “International Safe Abortion Day.”
Precious Life launched their annual Pro-Life Roadshow in August.
The tour brings pro-life displays to town centers and abortion facilities across Northern Ireland.
Precious Life is opposing the Belfast City Council's decision to light up City Hall green in honor of abortion.
Precious Life’s “Summer Pro-Life Roadshow 2026” got underway at the start of August, as teams of pro-life volunteers brought the message of life directly to the public on the streets of Belfast and other towns, rain or shine.
The entire month saw the roadshows become a characteristic in selected town centers and outside abortion facilities across Northern Ireland, with volunteers engaging passers-by, sharing information about preborn children, and encouraging signatures on a petition for the “Repeal of Section 9” of the Executive Formation Act, as well as the re-establishment of full legal personhood for all preborn babies in Northern Ireland.
The group states on its website, "Following the unjust and draconian imposition of one of Europe’s most extreme and permissive abortion laws, the only way Northern Ireland can become pro-life again is through the repeal of this horrific law."
During a roadshow in Belfast on August 29, Bernadette Smyth, founder and director of Precious Life, said, “It rained all day in Belfast today, but our commitment to being a voice for truth and justice continues regardless.”
Smyth thanked supporters who prayed, volunteered, donated, and shared the “Repeal of Section 9” campaign online, portraying the enthusiasm witnessed in these as “only possible because people like you stand behind this mission.”
The response to Precious Life’s roadshows has been encouraging, even in smaller towns like Newry.
“Newry is a quiet town, but we are very happy at the response we are receiving,” Smyth said, referencing the group’s August 28 witness outside the Daisy Hill abortion facility in Newry, as well as its street outreach in the town center.
“Our presence is a reminder that true compassion means protecting life, not ending it," Precious Life wrote on its Facebook page. "Every conversation we have is another opportunity to speak for the unborn and remind our communities that every human life is valuable, precious, and worth protecting from the moment of conception."
Precious Life also visited Derry, Portrush, Ballymena, and Lisburn, with hundreds of people stopping to speak with volunteers and sign petitions to resist pro-abortion laws.
On August 21, Timothy Gaston MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) of the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), who stood with the Precious Life team in support of their campaign to restore personhood protections, joined pro-life roadshow volunteers on the ground in Ballymena.
Smyth described the roadshow in Ballymena as “a powerful day of public engagement and a clear reminder that many people still want their voices heard on this crucial issue (of abortion).”
On 12 August, Precious Life also brought its roadshow to the seaside town of Portrush to reach out to a community that the organization does not regularly visit during the year.
Smyth told Live Action News:
“We had great conversations with many young people, who clearly understand that an unborn child is a human being from the moment of conception. We are wearing this T-shirt to help make abortion unthinkable. If we do not change the culture, and if we continue voting for nationalist and republican parties that support abortion up to the moment of birth, the situation will only get worse, and abortion rates will continue to rise.
Precious Life will continue to stand for mothers and their unborn children. We will keep battling and fighting until abortion is unthinkable and every unborn child is protected."
Precious Life is also showcasing long-term demographic concerns in Northern Ireland. By summer 2027, the number of pensioners in Northern Ireland is poised to exceed the number of children, with deaths slated to surpass births by 2030, igniting worries about pressures on health care, social services, and schools.
For Precious Life, the answer to Northern Ireland’s demographic crisis lies in a cultural and legal shift that prioritizes the protection of all human lives, including unborn lives, from the moment of conception.
While pro-life volunteers are on the streets engaging the public about the horrors of abortion and the importance of protecting preborn life, a standoff between pro-lifers and the Belfast authorities is ensuing over Belfast City Hall.
As Live Action News previously reported, a controversial proposal to illuminate the landmark Belfast City Hall building in green to commemorate “International Safe Abortion Day” on Monday, September 28, was voted through at a council committee. About 20,000 people signed a petition against the move; however, the final vote was cast in favor of illuminating the building.
The pro-abortion National Women’s Council of Ireland submitted a request to illuminate the building, claiming that “International Safe Abortion Day” is a day to mark access to “safe and legal abortion care.”
Precious Life lambasted the plan as turning City Hall into “a billboard for abortion" and has kickstarted an action alert urging the public to contact the council and register formal complaints. Smyth said:
"We are inviting Christian and pro-life organizations across Northern Ireland to stand together and send Belfast City Council a clear message: City Hall is not a billboard for abortion. Catholic, Protestant, evangelical, pro-life, and community groups are being asked to add their names to this important open letter. The more united our voice, the harder it will be for the Belfast City Council to ignore it. Illuminating City Hall would inevitably be seen as an endorsement by the Belfast City Council of abortion and of a particular political campaign.
For thousands of people across Northern Ireland, abortion represents the loss of an innocent child, while Christians and people of faith believe that every unborn child has inherent dignity and worth. Whatever one’s position on abortion, a publicly owned civic landmark should not be used to promote or celebrate one side of such a divisive issue."
If the illumination proceeds, Precious Life has pledged a public protest outside City Hall on September 28 “to expose the horrific reality of abortion.” The group is joined in resistance by the DUP, whose council group leader, Sarah Bunting, said:
"Abortion is not safe for the unborn child whose life is ended, and that fundamental truth should not be lost behind the language being used to promote this campaign. International Safe Abortion Day is a contradiction. Its organizers are campaigning for the removal of restrictions around abortion, a political objective many people across Belfast profoundly disagree with.
Belfast City Hall belongs to everyone and should not be used as a billboard to promote one side of such a campaign. We make no apology for standing up for the value of both lives and for the unborn child who has no voice in this debate."
All in all, the annual Precious Life “Summer Pro-Life Roadshow” is more than a mere token opposition to abortion. Rather, it is an explicit, public, and sustained presence in communities that have witnessed abortion facilities increase under present government laws.
Precious Life is attempting to regularize and promote pro-life advocacy in public spaces, and to keep the preborn child at the heart of the abortion debate.
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!
Cassy Cooke
·Activism
Nancy Flanders
·Human Interest
Angeline Tan
·Activism
Cassy Cooke
·Guest Column
Mark Lee Dickson
·Analysis
Angeline Tan
·Human Interest
Angeline Tan
·Human Interest
Angeline Tan
·International
Angeline Tan
·