Vocal and Motivated Crowd at Abortion Rights Protest

by Judith Orr, vice-chair Abortion Rights and author of Abortion Wars (Policy Press)

In a show of noisy defiance, 600 people joined the Abortion Rights protest in Parliament Square on Saturday to oppose the anti-abortion movement’s annual mobilisation, which they call the ‘March for Life’.

The antis marched into the square earlier than had been timetabled, in advance of our start time. But a great crowd of pro-choice supporters had already gathered by the statute of suffragist Millicent Fawcett, and we rallied around the Abortion Rights banner and ensured the pro-choice majority drowned out the minority who want to deny our reproductive rights!

The pro-choice turn out was three times the size of previous such protests. Campaigners for abortion rights are very aware of the impact of the Roe v Wade ruling in the US and how important it is to have a show of strength against all those who want to roll back our rights in Britain too.

We kept our chanting and singing going all afternoon, led by Lilly Burton from the Abortion Rights Executive Committee (EC). We also heard from a whole range of speakers introduced in turn by Judith Orr, Abortion Rights vice-chair. These included Kerry Abel, Chair of Abortion Rights; Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour MP for Streatham; and Mandu Reid, Leader of the Women’s Equality Party.

The trade union movement was also represented – Vicky Blake, Past President of the UCU, the union for further and higher education;and Liz Wheatley, Chair of the International Committee of Unison, the public services union.

We were also very pleased to be joined by writer and activist Patsy Stevenson, who had been arrested at the vigil for Sarah Everard; Polly Jackman representing Sister Supporter; and Maya Oppenheim, The Independent’s Women’s Correspondent who wrote about her own experience of abortion this year.

It was wonderful to see the range and diversity of the pro-choice rally, long-time campaigners, such as Ann Rossiter who supported Irish women in accessing abortion for decades, were joined by hundreds of activists new to the campaign. There were lots of imaginative homemade placards and many wore our new badge declaring, “Abortion rights are human rights”.

Abortion Rights would like to say a very big thank you to all our speakers and the 50 volunteer stewards who helped make the protest such a success!

Judith Orr, vice-chair Abortion Rights and author of Abortion Wars (Policy Press)