Thousands march for life in London

With a theme “Freedom to Live,” the human rights demonstration was co-directed by Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who was arrested in December 2022 for praying outside a Birmingham abortion clinic. 

Vaughan-Spruce in February was acquitted of charges related to a local order that censors speech in the area around abortion clinics.

She was arrested for violating the same order by praying in front of an abortion clinic weeks later. 

Vaughan-Spruce told CNA on Tuesday that she is still waiting to hear if charges will be pressed against her and that she is still praying outside the abortion clinic on a weekly basis. 

“On the second time I was arrested I was told my prayers were an offense. I’ll tell you what is offensive. That our country has the highest ever abortion figures, 100,000 of them annually being repeat abortions and the only response we see happening in our government is a clamp down on those who peacefully offer alternatives to pregnant women,” Vaughan-Spruce said in a speech at the march.

Father Sean Gough  — a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham — also addressed a group of young people at the march. Gough was charged and later acquitted this past year for breaking a local censorship order on free speech for holding a sign that said “praying for free speech” near a Birmingham abortion clinic. 

March for Life UK said in its release that a young woman’s talk about the regret she experienced after having three abortions were “the most moving words of the day” even though pro-abortion counter protesters were trying to “shout her down.”

“I think I can speak for every post-abortive woman [standing] here today that abortion didn’t grant us freedom, but made us captives in one way or another,” the young woman, Ellie, said. 

(Story continues below)

The March for Life in the UK will be back for its 10th anniversary next year. Co-director of the march, Ben Thatcher said at the event that his hope is for the march to reach 10,000 attendees, according to the press release.