By LifeSiteNews staff
Thousands and thousands of people cheered people
Organisers also vowed to ensure that pro-life voters would make their
views heard in the ballot box at the next general election, which will take
place before March 2016.
Those attending the Rally for Life, which marched from Parnell Square to
the Dail, held posters supporting the ‘Every Life Matters’ theme of this year’s
Rally, and said that legalising abortion on disability grounds is the
worst possible form of discrimination.
Anne Trainer, whose little boy Kevin has Down Syndrome, told the crowd
that offering abortion for any form of a disability is a lethal form of
discrimination, and warned that Ireland could follow Britain’s failure to
protect its most vulnerable children, with 90% of babies with Down Syndrome
being aborted before birth.
“Why are Amnesty International calling for Ireland’s abortions laws to
be changed and claiming abortion is a “human right?” What is humane about
aborting a baby simply because they have an extra set of chromosomes?” said Ms
Trainer. The biggest cheer of the day was given to Mary Bridget Kelly who has
Down Syndrome and who told the crowd that "people with special needs have
a right to life".
The Rally attendees were told that since Amnesty now supported the death
penalty for unborn children it was time for the pro-life majority to 'abandon
Amnesty' in favour genuine human rights organisations.
Mandy Dunne of the support group Every Life Counts also addressed the
Rally. Her daughter Muireann was diagnosed with Trisomy 13 before birth, and
doctors described her as ‘incompatible with life’ and suggested abortion to
Mandy. She says:
“I felt those words took her life from me there and then. We were told
we wouldn't find anyone who had lived with this condition, and it was suggested
that I end my pregnancy. I was made to feel I wasn’t carrying a beautiful little
girl, that she was something that didn't even have the right to be considered
as a life, dismissed with suggestions of a termination. But Muireann went on to
live with us after birth for 6 weeks, and she knew nothing but love. Every
child deserves to be treated with respect and dignity regardless of their
diagnosis. Every sick child deserves extra protection and extra love."
Niamh Uí Bhriain of the Life Institute said that people attending the
Rally were looking ahead to Election 2016 and that a growing number of
experienced activists were determined that pro-life voters would be engaged and
informed ahead of polling day. “The Rally is a real catalyst for growth and
activism and a lot of that focus will be on Election 2016 and on ensuring that
politicians understand that the majority of people do not want abortion on
demand legalised in Ireland,” she said.
“The truth is that there is no public clamour to see abortion legalised.
Last month, Labour’s Aodhán Ó Riordáin said that a vote for Labour was a vote
to Repeal the 8th amendment yet Labour continue to languish in the polls at
just 7%. The pro-life movement is more organised and energised than ever before
and we need to ensure that those politicians who broke the pro-life promises
they made in 2011 are made to answer.”
The Rally for Life is Ireland’s premier pro-life event which brings
thousands onto the street every year. “It’s a huge celebration of life, with
face-painting and balloons and music and there’s a great festive atmosphere,
but the Rally also sends a powerful pro-life message to the city, to the
public, and to the government – and this year’s message is that Ireland should
continue to protect the right to life of unborn children with disabilities,”
said Clare Molloy of Youth Defence, one of the Rally organisers.
“Most Irish people would be shocked to learn that legalising abortion
for babies with a disability leads to these horrifying statistics of 90% of
babies with Down Syndrome being aborted, and most people of goodwill believe
that we should provide better support to people with disabilities rather than
simply eliminating them before birth. We’re seeing the number of women
travelling for abortion to Britain fall, we’re seeing more and more young
people join the pro-life movement, and we’re seeing that there is always a
better answer than abortion,” she said. “The government needs to respect the
most fundamental right of all for people with disabilities, the right to life.”
The Rally for Life is organised by Youth Defence, the Life Institute and
Precious Life. Bernadette Smyth of Precious Life, who won a major victory in
the Belfast County Court this week when harassment charges were overturned,
received a huge cheer from the crowd when she appeared to speak on the stage, and said she was opening a clinic to offer women life-affirming alternatives to
abortion opposite the Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Belfast.
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