Thousands of pro-life advocates gathered in central London on Saturday for the annual March for Life. The march started at the Emmanuel Centre and followed a route to Trafalgar Square, ending with speeches in Parliament Square. Counterprotests were launched by activists from groups such as Antifa and the Sex Worker Advocacy and Resistance Movement (SWARM), but were contained by a strong police presence.
The current policy landscape for abortion laws in the UK is at a critical junction, with abortion advocates pushing for the legalisation of late-stage abortion. Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, expressed gratitude to the March For Life UK team for organising the event. She cited polling data that showed only 1 percent of women in Great Britain supported extending abortion time limits beyond 24 weeks, with 70 percent of women favoring a reduction in time limits.
Counterprotesters advocating for abortion up to birth held their own protest outside the Emmanuel Centre. Speakers at the March for Life highlighted the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States and the increasing momentum on the pro-life side of the debate. David Kurten, leader of the Heritage Party, lent his support to the march and advocated for the right to life of unborn children. He highlighted the high number of abortions in the UK and the need for it to stop.
Pro-life representation in Westminster is limited, and Kurten aims to build the Heritage Party as a viable alternative that can impact government policy. While several groups at the march had a Christian ethos, there is also a growing number of young people who disagree with abortion on secular grounds. A new secular group called Abortion Resistance has launched monthly gatherings to engage young people and promote a non-religious pro-life message.
The Epoch Times also spoke to Lois McLatchie Miller of Alliance Defending Freedom UK (ADF UK), a pro-free-speech legal firm. She expressed frustration with the narrative that abortion is empowering for women and emphasized ADF’s commitment to supporting both lives in every pregnancy. McLatchie Miller called for more media coverage of the abortion debate and hoped that events like the March for Life would receive the attention they deserve.
The march saw a significant presence of young people, including many young women, with organizations like the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) and the Alliance of Pro-Life Students represented. These young activists stressed the need to make abortion unthinkable and spoke up for the voiceless and innocent. They called for fair media representation and respect for free speech, while hoping for continued momentum to advocate for the right to life.