Richard G. L. Thain, DDS
Members of the Centre for Inquiry Canada (CFIC) and Humanist Ottawa once again participated in the counter-protest during the annual National March for Life on Parliament Hill on May 14.
Pro-choice supporters gathered to show solidarity with colleagues and allied organizations, strengthen networks with other advocacy groups, and demonstrate support for the pro-choice position adopted by Canada (and the Canadian Medical Association). Although this year’s counter-protest was smaller than in previous years, participants emphasized that the messages being delivered remained clear and important: reproductive rights are human rights, and healthcare is a human right.
The National March for Life itself again attracted thousands of participants. Large numbers of schoolchildren were bused in from across the region and beyond to attend the event during school hours. Speakers and participants promoted the anti-abortion position summarized by the slogan “protect life from conception to natural death.” Opposition both to abortion rights and to access to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) featured prominently in speeches and messaging.
Counter-protesters emphasized that decisions regarding reproductive healthcare and end-of-life choices are personal matters and argued that individuals should retain the right to make decisions about their own lives without religious interference. Many participants carried signs expressing these views, while others used satire and pointed commentary to respond to the messages presented by March for Life supporters.
Some signs also highlighted the history of sexual abuse scandals and institutional cover-ups within parts of the Roman Catholic Church. Participants argued that these issues raise questions about moral authority when religious institutions seek to influence public policy. Messages called for accountability for abuse and for those who concealed such crimes.
Humanists have longstanding historical ties to reproductive rights advocacy in Canada. When Dr. Henry Morgentaler was active in the struggle to decriminalize abortion in the 1960s and subsequent decades, he also served as the first president of the Humanist Association of Canada. For many humanists, support for reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy has therefore remained an important issue for decades.
Participants noted that the National March for Life is a well-organized and well-funded annual event and is unlikely to disappear. As a result, they emphasized the importance of continued engagement and expressed hope for a larger turnout at future counter-protests to advocate for pro-choice perspectives and secular values.
This year’s event again demonstrated that debates surrounding reproductive rights, healthcare autonomy, and the relationship between religion and public policy remain active issues in Canada.
Make abortion an election issue, MPs urge demonstrators – Ottawa Citizen (May 14, 2015)
Abortion tag/archive – Ottawa Citizen
March for Life Canada – Official website