The decision to light up Belfast City Hall in green on September 28 for “International Safe Abortion Day” has sparked significant controversy, drawing over 17,000 signatures on a petition calling for the event’s cancellation.
This decision was made following a vote where Sinn Féin, the Alliance, the SDLP, and the Green Party collectively outvoted the DUP by 11 to 3.
Pro-life organizations, including The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) and Precious Life, have voiced strong opposition, organizing a protest for the illumination day. Bernadette Smyth, the Director of Precious Life, criticized the event as a “diabolical celebration of abortion.”
In addition to the protest, Precious Life has also launched a petition urging the cancellation of the illumination, stating, “Public resources and ratepayers’ money must not be used to promote and celebrate the killing of unborn babies.” They further argued that “City Hall should be a symbol of Belfast, not a billboard for abortion.”
The petition contends that the council is misusing taxpayer resources on a divisive topic and risks “sending mixed messages to mothers who have lost an unborn child.”
Criticism was particularly aimed at Sinn Féin and the SDLP, given their previous support for Baby Loss Certificates, which recognize the loss experienced by women who have had miscarriages.
The concept of a “safe” abortion faced scrutiny from the petitioners. They stated, “Safe abortion is an oxymoron. Abortion ends an unborn baby’s life and leaves the mother facing a lifetime of loss. Everyone should acknowledge abortion as a tragedy.”
They emphasized that women dealing with unexpected pregnancies require “compassion, practical support, and hope, not the lie that abortion is ever safe.”
As of the latest count, the petition has gathered over 17,100 signatures.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
