Almost 5,000 people gathered in London to take part in the annual UK March for Life.
The march concluded in Parliament Square, where pro-lifers proclaimed their message about the sanctity of life in front of the House of Commons.
It follows calls from pro-abortion activists for MPs to impose abortion in Northern Ireland, and to weaken protections for the unborn in England and Wales.
‘Wrong’
Culture of Life Africa President Obianuju Ekeocha kicked off the speeches on Saturday, saying: “We are all gathered here today in this special venue because we have come to raise our voices to this parliament, because this parliament has it wrong.”
“Abortion in this country has been legal now for more than 50 years and has taken the lives of more than nine million people.”
She reminded the crowd: “Parliament got it wrong more than 200 years ago when they decided that the black person should not be protected by law.”
“Who is worthy of personhood? The babies in the womb are worthy of personhood!”
Changed minds
Other speakers included Melissa Ohden, who survived a failed abortion as a baby, and Jennifer Christie, a mother who chose to keep her baby despite him being conceived through rape.
Parents Carla and Danny, who changed their minds about an abortion outside a Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Birmingham, also spoke.
They credited the life of their baby daughter to a 40 Days for Life volunteer, and promised to bring her to next year’s March for Life.
‘Irreplaceable’
This year’s theme was “Irreplaceable” – a reminder “that each human being from the moment of his or her conception is a unique individual that cannot be replaced by any other human being”.
Co-director of the event Isabel Vaughan-Spruce said March for Life was about changing attitudes, not just the law.
She said: “We make no secret of the fact that we would love abortion to be illegal since a civilised country should not support the killing of its own children but clearly more is needed than that.
“We need to make abortion unthinkable and for there to be sufficient support and encouragement for mothers/couples so that children aren’t thought of as burdens and for adoption to be presented in a more positive light.”