March for Choice, because we’re better and it’s important

by Kerry Abel, Chair of Abortion Rights

The US-inspired March for ‘Life’ brings together an umbrella group of Christian anti-choice organisations who wouldn’t usually be seen dead together – but they get together once a year to amplify their extreme no-abortion-for-any-reason position in central London.

These are the same people who gather outside abortion clinics to film and harass anyone who goes in the building, who advocate medically dubious abortion reversal pills and who peddle pregnancy crisis centres which give anything but unbiased advice (who show baby clothes and ask if your mother can take care of the baby).

And they attract some dangerous friends. We know that they have ties to the far right, racist and homophobic campaigners – it includes in its US leadership members of anti-LGBTQ hate groups.

We want to show them and those watching that abortion is healthcare, it is a human right, and we want to sing and shout for the one in three women who have abortions.

Lockdown has been tough, this is one of the first protests I’ve been involved in since 2019. I want to make this a meaningful one – I remember us singing ‘We need abortions’ to the tune of ‘I love you baby’ over and over in 2019. The day was raucous and a bit hectic at times, but we knew we were there for the right reasons.

I later found out that one of our supporters turned up a few days after her abortion, feeling out of sorts, and she came away refreshed and not feeling judged. I’m glad we created that environment and I know that – faced with anti-choice activists who pretend they care about women and babies, but don’t and won’t take action to save lives but purport to be ‘pro-life’ – it’s important that we’re there on Saturday.

Saturday 4 September: Meet me at the Fawcett statue, Parliament Square at 13:30. There’ll be speeches and singing.

We know you’re not all based within easy reach of London, so here are some other options: