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An annual anti-abortion rally brought the fight to the steps of the legislature Thursday amid heightened political tensions.
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Parliament Hill in Ottawa saw a similar rally, but this year the events came on the heels of reports that the US Supreme Court could overturn the landmark Roe V. Wade decision that legalized abortion.
With an estimated 200 people at least, the crowd wasn’t as big as it was during the March for Life in 2019, when between 800 and 1,000 people gathered at the legislature grounds.
UCP MLA for Peace River Dan Williams, who has called himself pro-life, Catholic church leaders and advocates spoke at the event. Many attendees chanted and held placards that said “choose life” while counter-protesters blasted music and carried their own signs, including one that said “mind your own uterus,” leading to some tense confrontations.
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Rev. Dean Dowle, pastor at the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, encouraged attendees to push provincial politicians for legal change.
“Please call or email your local MLA to register your support for legislation that protects children as our future citizens and honors the frail and elderly with the health care they have earned,” said Dowle, while counter-protesters yelled “my body my choice” nearby.
Attendee Chris Taylor held a sign that read “defend the poor and fatherless,” and said he believes abortion equates to ending human life. “It’s not something we should just stand by and ignore,” he told Postmedia.
NDP women’s issues critic Janis Irwin told Postmedia she was silently expressing her pro-choice position, carrying a large sign that said “I can’t believe I still have to protest this s–t.”
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She said the event shows reproductive rights continue to be under threat.
“Women and other folks who access abortion need to know that they are valued, they’re loved. And, we — an NDP government — will do all we can to ensure access to abortion in this province,” said Irwin.
The event comes after an amendment passed on a proposed Alberta labor bill offering unpaid bereavement leave on Wednesday.
After critics, including Irwin, had called for the bill to explicitly offer time off for abortion and termination for medical reasons, Labor Minister Kaycee Madu said the revised language will cover all situations involving pregnancy loss, including abortion and termination for medical reasons.
