Controversial plans to light up Belfast City Hall in support of abortion will not now take place on Monday after a council procedure was used to challenge the decision. Pro-life group, Precious Life, said a protest organised for Monday will still go ahead as a celebration – and to urge Belfast City Council to drop the plans entirely.
The landmark Belfast building was due to be lit up green, despite an opposing petition signed by more than 20,000 people , after the Alliance Party brought a motion to the council which was supported by Sinn Féin and the SDLP but opposed by the DUP and TUV.
As revealed by Gript, the push to light up City Hall came through the National Women’s Council of Ireland but is an initiative of the wealthy US organisation, the Centre for Reproductive Rights, which previously sponsored court UN cases against Ireland’s pro-life laws, and sought to promote a celebration of ‘safe abortions.’
BBC says that “Belfast City Council said they are now seeking legal opinion on “the merits” of the call-in procedure used by the DUP, but BBC News NI understands because the process will not be completed by Monday, the lighting of the hall will be delayed.”
A “call-in” can be requested by 15% of councillors, if they believe a decision was not properly considered – known as procedural grounds – or that it would disproportionately affect a section of the district, also known as community impact grounds. The council can then ask a lawyer to examine the decision.
Belfast City Council said the call-in by the DUP was received “both procedural grounds and disproportionate community impact grounds”.
Welcoming the news, leading pro-life group Precious Life said that a planned protest for Monday would still go ahead because the light up to support abortion was delayed but not not yet cancelled.
“We’ve seen huge numbers sign petitions, and online polls show huge majorities against this disturbing decision, yet the majority of the Council members wanted to celebrate abortion,” the pro-life group said. “That hasn’t changed. ”
Monday’s rally is to be addressed by DUP alderman Dean McCullough, who submitted the challenge currently awaiting a decision from lawyers, as well as TUV councillor Ron McDowell, Aiden Carlin from nationalist party Aontu, and campaigner Adele Best.
Precious Life accused politicians who voted to support the illumination of City Hall of “not only neglecting their duty to improve the lives of people in Belfast by wasting council time on this initiative, but also sending mixed messages to mothers who have lost an unborn child”.
“Sinn Fein and SDLP both supported baby loss certificates, which acknowledge the unborn child’s life and the mother’s pain following a miscarriage. Now they are celebrating this same loss and calling it ‘safe’.”
They said that “safe abortion is an oxymoron” since it is “never safe for the baby” and that “everyone should acknowledge abortion as a tragedy”.