Young activists from SPUC Scotland deliver boxes of petitions, each one representing 100,000 lives lost to abortion. Image: Paul McSherry.
"It's time this damage was recognised."
A 15,000 name petition opposing the decriminalisation of abortion has been delivered to Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The presentation took place on Friday, the 50th anniversary of the Abortion Act coming into effect. Since 1967, an estimated 500,000 abortions have taken place in Scotland (the number for the UK as a whole is now over 9 million).
Powerful symbol of lost lives
The boxes of petitions were delivered by young pro-life activists from around Scotland, including members of SPUC Scotland's Project Truth team, and testimonies from women who have suffered from abortion were heard. In a symbolic gesture, the boxes were pushed to Bute House, the official residence of the First Minister, in five empty prams, with each one representing 100,000 lives lost to abortion.
John Deighan, CEO of SPUC Scotland, said: "We are delivering this petition at a time when pro-abortion groups are pushing for the extension of abortion limits under their decriminalisation campaign."
A future without abortion
Mr Deighan, pointing to a recent ComRes poll that found 32 per cent of young adults think abortion should never be permitted, called on the First Minister to "heed the growing concerns, especially coming from young adults who are increasingly committed to protecting the right to life of all people."
Catherine Farrelly, a student from Paisley, said that she took part in the demonstration "to commemorate those lives which have been lost in a hope that we can have a future where we don’t have abortion anymore."
Women need support, not abortion
Those gathered outside Bute House heard from Alison Hall, who gave her testimony of how having an abortion as a vulnerable 21 year old led to years of post-abortion trauma, including destructive relationships and alcohol abuse.
Ms Hall said that she hoped her presence there would lead to "more openness and increased awareness" allowing "women to be able to talk and share, that’s going to help women."
"There must be many women like me who did not understand the damage of abortion until it was too late," she said. "It is about time that this damage was recognised and under no circumstances should we be considering extending abortion. Women in crisis pregnancy need support with their pregnancy, abortion is not the quick-fix solution that our society has been taught to believe."
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