Precious Life respond to Sinn Fein pro-abortion motion passed by Newry Mourne & Down Council

  • Precious Life respond to Sinn Fein pro-abortion motion passed by Newry Mourne & Down Council
  • Precious Life respond to Sinn Fein pro-abortion motion passed by Newry Mourne & Down Council

 

Sinn Féin motion to Newry Mourne and Down Council from pro-abortion Councillor Róisín Howell

“This Council believes that any member of the public accessing healthcare services is entitled to do so free of abuse, fear and intimidation and will write to both the Health Minister and the Justice Minister asking them to take steps to ensure this.”

The pro-abortion motion was supported by the DUP, SDLP, Alliance, UUP, and Sinn Féin groups in the Council.

Firstly, abortion is not healthcare. In every abortion, a baby is killed and a mother left physically and/or emotionally hurt.

This Sinn Fein motion is a blatant attack on pro-life groups’ democratic and human rights to hold peaceful vigils outside abortion centres.

By referring to “abuse, fear and intimidation”, the motion makes the false presumption that "abuse, fear and intimidation" has actually taken place. However, there is no evidence of this from police.

There is always a police presence at Precious Life vigils outside abortion centres. Furthermore, the police already have adequate powers to deal with any “abuse, fear or intimidation” if it were to take place, so the Council did not need to vote on a motion such as this.

It must also be noted that Sinn Fein has organised countless protests across Northern Ireland for decades. Those whom Sinn Fein have protested against might also say they felt abused, fear, or intimidated.

But this motion is all part of Sinn Fein's wider attempts to gather ammunition for draconian and oppressive new laws to create “Exclusion Zones“ outside abortion centres across Northern Ireland.

So called “Exclusion Zones“ would effectively criminalise any person engaging in any pro-life activity outside the abortion centres.

“Exclusion Zones“ are discriminatory as they would only target pro-life groups. Freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights – both protected under Articles 10 and 11 of the Human Rights Act.

In statements to the media, Sinn Fein have also described signs and posters used by Precious Life as “distressing, horrific graphic images”

However, there are many other organisations that use “graphic images”.

For example - Animal rights activists use graphic imagery. In 2019, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) staged a demonstration in which its activists barbecued a “dog” as part of a campaign to encourage people to go vegan [ See photos here - https://www.peta.org.uk/media/news-releases/photos-vegans-bbq-dog-in-belfast/ ]
    The Department for Infrastructure have used graphic images in road safety ads – such as images of people lying in the road with blood pouring from their heads.
    Even the government launched a set of hard-hitting new adverts warning people to stay home to ensure people obey lockdown rules during the Covid pandemic. The adverts which have appeared on bus shelters in public streets showing close-ups of Covid-19 patients' faces wearing oxygen masks. These images could be called "distressing" for anyone who have lost a loved one due to a covid-related illness.

In conclusion - if Newry Mourne and Down Councillors consider images of babies killed by abortion to be distressing, then actually killing a baby by abortion should be all the more distressing and too horrific to be allowed in their Council district.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week, a similar motion was passed by Derry City & Strabane District Council.

The voting was as follows:

FOR the Motion - 18

J Boyle SDLP 

M Boyle SF

T Burke SF

S Duffy SF

R Farrell SDLP 

R Ferguson Alliance 

P Fleming SF

S Harkin PBP

C Heaney SF

C Jackson SF

P Logue SF

K McGuire SF

R McHugh SF

P McKinney Alliance 

A Mellon SF

S Mooney SDLP 

M O’Neill PBP

M Reilly SDLP 

 

ABSTAINED - 6

J Barr SDLP 

R Barr Independent 

S Cusack SDLP 

A Dobbins SDLP 

S Edwards SDLP 

P Gallagher independent 

 

AGAINST the Motion - 12

A Bresland DUP 

D Guy UUP 

D Hussey UUP 

K Kerrigan DUP 

H McClintock DUP 

R McCready DUP 

D Ramsey DUP 

G Warke DUP 

S Carr Independent 

G Donnelly Independent 

E Doyle Antou 

J McKeever SDLP 

 






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