‘Victory’: Belfast City Hall halts abortion day illuminations

Plans to illuminate Belfast City Hall in celebration of abortion have been halted, following a backlash.

The council decided to seek legal advice after the DUP used a ‘call in’ procedure to object to the building being lit up for International Safe Abortion Day on 28 September.

Over 21,000 people signed a petition against the plans, and protests were organised outside the landmark by pro-life campaigners and the Free Presbyterian Church.

‘Light for life’

The founder of pro-life group Precious Life, Bernadette Smyth, told those gathered outside the landmark: “We have lights here on this building but they are not green, they’re white. It is the light for life, the light of people who refused to be silent, the light of councillors who stood up and challenged the decision.”

Rev Ian Brown from the Free Presbyterian Church said the protesters were there to “raise witness and be a voice for the voiceless”. He stated: “Commemorating the slaughter of the innocent is reprehensible.”

Councillor Ron McDowell commented: “What was supposed to be a defeat has turned out to be a victory.”

The former Lord Mayor of Belfast, Tracy Kelly, called the plans “an absolutely vile decision”, but acknowledged that the legal challenge is still ongoing.

‘Terrible evil’

The Christian Institute’s Deputy Director, Simon Calvert, previously said: “The language of ‘safe abortion’ is exactly the kind of misdirection and corruption of language that we’ve become used to from the abortion lobby. It is not at all ‘safe’ for the baby.

“Why don’t they ever talk about the baby? The reason is they know abortion is a terrible evil and they are seeking to hide that reality from themselves.

“We must pray for a softening of hearts towards the unborn.”

Thousand

Last December, it was revealed that the number of abortions in Northern Ireland had reached its highest level since the law was liberalised in 2020.

Statistics from the Department of Health documented 2,899 abortions between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. This was a 3.7 per cent rise from the previous year and 84 per cent higher than in 2021.

Since Westminster’s liberal abortion regime was introduced in 2020, 11,192 abortions have been carried out in the Province.