“Calling it ‘pro-life’ is a con”: Sheffield counter-protestors stand up for women’s access to safe abortions

A pro-choice demonstration has been held at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, alongside the anti-abortion, 40-day ‘pro-life vigil’ currently being held at the site. 

Around 20 pro-choice demonstrators held signs in support of women’s right to safe abortion care on Friday (March 8). 

Debbie Bolam, aged 66, a retired nurse, said: “We just thought we had to show [the pro-life people] that not everyone agrees with them.

“Every woman should be entitled to have a safe, legal medical procedure without being made to go past protestors and feel guilty.

“There should not be any guilt about it. If that is what they want to do with their body, that is no-one else’s business.”

Abortion has been in the UK headlines in recent months for a number of reasons: Some doctors asking MPs to reduce the time limit, a woman jailed in the UK after taking abortion pills after the legal time limit in lockdown.

Outside of the UK, France officially enshrined the right to abortion in its constitution last week (though it has been legal since 1975), and in the US, the impacts of stricter US abortion laws are beginning to show. 

These impacts include an increase of 11% in children going into foster care, and women being forced to carry non-viable pregnancies to term.

Debbie said: “Making women carry non-viable pregnancies is not pro-life. [Calling it] that is a con.

“It is nobody's business why women [get a termination]. The rights of an unborn foetus overriding a woman’s is not okay.”

In England, Scotland and Wales, abortion is legal before 24 weeks of pregnancy.

They can only be carried out after this period in limited circumstances, such as if the mother’s life is at risk, or if the child would be born with a severe disability.

Marie, who attends the vigils, told The Star previously: “People mention rape making it okay to abort, but it’s still a life.”

Andrew, also in attendance at the vigil, said in February: “We’ve had vigils interrupted where we’ve been praying and people have smashed our signs.

“An elderly gentleman had his sign ripped out of his hands and stood on and torn into small pieces.”

The group prays outside the hospital between 8am and 8pm, which is when abortions may take place in the hospital.

Rachel Wood, who has organised multiple 40 Day Right to Life demonstrations in Sheffield in the last three years, said: “We believe life is a gift. Abortion hurts women – they think it’s a right to choose, but it does hurt women.”

In 2022, MPs voted to create ‘safe access zones’ of 150 metres, to stop protestors from intimidating women attending hospitals for a termination.

A year and a half later, the legislation is yet to be implemented, but is expected to be in place no later than Spring 2024.

Debbie added: “I worry about what is happening in other countries where women cannot access safe and legal abortions. 

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“Women will always have them, and they have throughout history. Doing them with coat hangers is absolutely horrible, and I don't want it going back to those days.”

“If [pro-life groups] are that worried about children, why aren’t they all foster carers? Why aren’t they looking after the children that are already here?”

The 40 Days for Life demonstration began at the end of February.