Protesters outside meeting of Manchester Pro-Life Society
Police had to restrain an angry mob of pro-abortion activists from physically attacking a group of pro-life students at the University of Manchester last week.
The group of some 30 pro-life members were taunted and spat upon by a crowd estimated to be close to 300. They were set upon for simply trying to convene a meeting of the Manchester Pro-Life Society.
Jaboc, one of the organisers of the meeting said âif it wasnât for the police and security, people would have definitely been physically hurtâ.
Maisie, a pregnant 22-year old who attended the meeting had to be escorted to safety in a police van.
She said: âI felt especially vulnerable, being 7 months pregnant I was terrified they would hurt me and my baby girl.
âLeaving the building was the most terrifying part, we were surrounded and people were screaming in our faces. I knew that it would only take one person to push into me for me to fall and be crushed. It was traumatic, I was shaking the whole time and Iâm still really shaken up. I really thought our lives were in danger. The crowd was extremely violent â spitting, throwing eggs, screaming and swearing.â
The barrage of abuse included threats of rape and physical harm to the pro-life students.
One of the chants from the pro-abortion mob was "Pro-life that's a lie, you don't care if people die." The absurdity of what they were screaming didn't seem to register with them - after all they're the ones who support the taking of human life while the peace loving group they targeted were meeting to discuss ways to protect people (namely preborn babies) from having their lives unjustly ended.
What took place at the University of Manchester last week represents a troubling escalation in the campaign to harass and intimidate pro-life people from the public square. Regrettably, Â the mainstream media and political class for the most part kept their silence and didn't condemn what happened.
To their credit, members of the Manchester Pro-Life Society behaved impeccably throughout the incident. They didnât cower before the mob or allow themselves to be provoked by the undemocratic and strong-armed tactics of their opponents. They have taught us all an important lesson about how to respond when similar situations arise in the future, as they inevitably will.
Watch a short clip here of the incident in question
Today is a day when the bond of mother and baby should be celebrated and not hijacked by pro-abortion groups to open the door to more wide-ranging abortion.
Abortion ends the life of a defenceless unborn baby and is the ultimate exploitation of women.
Letâs continue to work towards creating a world where all women have equal opportunity, and are not kept in the dark about alternatives to abortion by State funded counselling agencies thatâs currently the case.
Hope Ireland expressed concern yesterday about media reports claiming the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Assisted Dying (JCAD) is getting ready to recommend that legislation be introduced to open the door to euthanasia/assisted suicide in Ireland, beginning with situations where an person is deemed to have a terminal illness.Â
The JCAD is scheduled to issue its report on 20 March which will contain a number of recommendations.
A spokesperson for Hope Ireland, a group  which promotes high quality palliative care and opposes the introduction of euthanasia/assisted suicide in Ireland, said in a statement yesterday: âTodayâs media reports are very troubling. If true, itâs show that the majority of committee members have chosen to ignore the shocking and indisputable international evidence showing that countries which introduce euthanasia on supposedly âvery restrictive groundsâ, quickly move to a situation where vulnerable and older people increasingly feel pressured to end their lives so as not become in their own words âa burden on family and friendsâ caring for them. When the real evidence is presented to the public, we are confident that public opinion will move in a direction away from the idea of bringing forward legislation. It is worth noting too that several members of the JCAD committee made excellent contributions to the deliberations of the committee and no doubt the evidence and information they unearthed will be invaluable in informing the debate moving forward.â
France has officially become the first country in the world to enshrine abortion as a Constitutional right.
On Monday, in a joint session of parliament, lawmakers voted by 780-7 to insert abortion as âguaranteed freedomâ in the Constitution.
Before the vote took place, French President Emmanuel Macron said his government was committed to "making women's right to have an abortion irreversible by enshrining it in the constitution"
After the vote, French President Emmanuel Macron  announced that the amendment would be formally incorporated into the constitution today Friday, March 8 â International Womenâs Day â during a public ceremony in central Paris.
In a social media post Macron declared Mondayâs vote as a source of  âFrench prideâ, while the Vatican issued a statement saying: âThe Pontifical Academy for Life recalls that in the era of universal human rights, there can be no ârightâ to take a human life.â
Meanwhile, in a scene that evoked memories of the celebrations at Dublin Castle when the result of the abortion referendum was announced in 2018, abortion supporters took to the streets of Paris on Monday after the vote to likewise cheer and chant for abortion.
You can watch the a short clip of the grotesque and grim gathering here
On Tuesday, British Medical Association (BMA) consultants in the UK voted in favour of a motion to safeguard doctors from having to be involved facilitating assisted suicide/euthanasia in the event that it is legalised. Â
The consultant doctors voted 53% to 37% in favour of the motion calling for the âBMA to ensure that consultants are not expected to be involved in provision of assisted suicide in any wayâ if the law were to change.
The motion also noted the âongoing media and political pressure to legalise assisted dying in the UKâ and referenced the fact that âthis will be carried out in health care facilitiesâ.
It also drew attention to a 2020 BMA survey that found 70% of palliative care doctors opposed a change in the medical bodyâs stance, whilst just 7% were in favour. The same research also revealed that 54% of doctors would not be willing to participate actively in the process of administering life-ending drugs. Only 26% said they would be prepared, while 20% were undecided.
In response to the vote, Right To Life UK spokesperson, Catherine Robinson, said âWhile the BMA changed to a neutral position on assisted suicide in 2021, this vote shows the most senior doctors believe they should not be expected to be involved in the provision of assisted suicide were it to become legalâ.
âImportantly, those working most closely with patients at the end of life should be given particular regard and it is encouraging to see that the majority of them continue to oppose assisted suicide according to the 2020 BMA surveyâ.
Our next PLC Network Workshop is fast approaching. The topic of this workshop is Solving the Pro-Life Movementâs Greatest Problem with the Minimise Project.
This workshop takes place Wednesday evening, the 13th March from 7.30-8.30pm online via Zoom.
Participation is free but pre-registration is essential. You can register instantly here.
The push to legalise euthanasia in Ireland is gathering pace now that the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Assisted Dying has brought its public hearings to a close.Â
Donât miss this vitally important webinar featuring Senator RĂłnĂĄn Mullen and Stephen Browne for all the up to date news on developments and to find out about the next steps in the campaign to stop euthanasia/assisted suicide from being legalised in Ireland.
The webinar will take place on Zoom on Tuesday, 19th March at 7.30pm.
Community Connect is a registered charity, dedicated to providing practical support to pregnant mothers and vulnerable families with small babies, who are struggling to provide for their children. Â They are running their national donation day on March 9th & 10th, asking people to 'Support a Mother in need for Motherâs Day'. Â They are appealing for donations of baby hygiene items and packs of new baby clothing and blankets, to be given to pregnant mothers and families with newborns across the country.
Community Connect currently operates from five hubs across the country, in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Kilkenny & Athlone. Â The charity partners with maternity hospitals, homeless agencies, domestic violence services, direct provision centres and health professionals around Ireland, to provide support to pregnant women and new mothers in need with gifts of essential items like buggies, moses baskets, baby clothes and mother and baby packs filled with items such as nappies, maternity items and baby clothing. Â The charity relies on the generosity of volunteers and donors around Ireland to continue its work.
Welcoming a baby should be a very special time in any familyâs life, however it can also be a stressful and challenging time for parents who are struggling to access basic necessities. This is the reality that many pregnant and new mothers in Ireland face every day. Â Community Connect is leading the way in pioneering a national âBaby Bankâ in Ireland, while providing Irish parents with a sustainable and trustworthy way to donate their pre-loved baby items to a family who will really benefit.
It couldn't be easier to get involved in Drive & Drop!
Donors just need to follow three simple steps:
Visit their website www.communityconnect.ie and click on âDrive & Dropâ to check if your area is listed
Browse the list of items requested and decide what you would like to donate
Then drop the items to one of the local drop-off locations on Saturday 9th or Sunday 10th March.
All the items donated will be delivered to pregnant women and new mothers in need in the coming weeks and months.
 Thank you so much to all the volunteers and supporters of the work of Community Connect!
The Local and European elections are scheduled to take place in early June. A General Election will also likely happen before the end of 2024.
Before polling day for each election, the Pro Life Campaign will provide a comprehensive Voter Guide with a list of candidates and parties and where they stand on abortion and other right to life issues.
We've already started work on compiling the list, which involves a huge time commitment. It's vital work though in order to guarantee that the information presented to voters is both thorough and reliable.Â
But for today, we'd be most grateful if you'd set aside some time to send us ANY information you have regarding the stances of candidates in your local area on the right to life issue. Donât assume we have it already! The more information we have the more comprehensive our Voter Guide will be. We take special care in gathering as much verifiable data as possible to accurately reflect where candidates stand and to ensure we have the most up to date information to share with voters.Â
Please send any information you have to [email protected] today or make a note to do so before Monday 11th March. Many thanks for all your help!!
Explore the world of human rights with our internship programme! This is your chance to network, learn advocacy skills, and gain experience in campaign management and project planning.
This one-week internship is available starting every Monday from 15th January. It is suitable for TY and older, third-level students, and anyone interested in gaining experience in non-profit work!Â
Itâs a really important time to approach your local TDs and Senators and urge them to reintroduce some humanity into the debate on abortion. The Three-Year Review, a seriously flawed process which produced a one-sided and extreme report, will be considered by politicians in the autumn. Itâs important that we take action now.
We have produced a quick and easy Virtual Postcard for you to sign, which will automatically send an email to your local TDs. Use the button below to navigate into your county on our website and find your constituency.
Itâs also important to have meetings with your TDs. These can be as simple as dropping into your local TDâs advice clinic to outline your concerns. Click below to register to lobby your local TDs. Donât worry â weâll help you every step of the way with advice on making the appointment to points you might consider raising.
We are heartened by the number of people actively involved and interested in meeting their politicians to express their views. The People Before Profit Bill which regrettably passed at 2nd stage of the DĂĄil on 31st May must also be countered. Even the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has said this Bill goes far beyond the recommendations of the Three-Year Review â which are already extreme in their own right.
It is crucial to engage with our politicians and remind them not to overlook the referendum promises. We need to fight to ensure our abortion policy is aimed at reducing the abortion rate.
Please take a moment to get involved in the Humanity Campaign. Remember even the smallest effort will make a big difference.
We are putting out a call for anyone in possession of any documents, photographs, correspondence, etc. relevant to the Irish pro-life movement throughout the decades. We are particularly keen to receive anything in your possession related to periods such as the 1983 referendum. A comprehensive history of the pro-life movement is yet to be written, but the historians of the future will need primary sources. We are asking for people to get in touch with the Pro Life Campaign if they possess such material (no matter how old or dusty!) to ensure it is preserved now and not lost to the ages.Â
Vital Signs is the e-newsletter of the Pro Life Campaign. This email is to update you on what we have been working on recently, including news stories, project updates, and details of upcoming events. If you want to get in touch with us please do so by emailing [email protected]
