Ottawa, ON – For immediate release
This week, thousands of Canadians will gather on Parliament Hill again for the nation’s largest annual march: the March for Life. Other cities across the country will hold similar marches in solidarity, including a first-ever event in Toronto, ON.
The March for Life takes place on May 9. Leading up to this, over 30 teams will be bringing the message that Canada needs an abortion law to their communities. These teams will be holding signs at busy intersections during rush hour in an initiative called SignsUp! This was spearheaded by We Need a Law, a national campaign advocating for legal protections for pre-born children.
“We were so excited by the response to this idea,” said Elyse Vroom, who has been coordinating the teams and mapping out busy intersections across Canada. “We were asking people to take time out of their days to stand at a busy intersection for five days in a row, and they were just eager to help get the message out that Canada has no abortion laws, and we need a law!”
Tabitha Ewert, legal counsel for We Need a Law, pointed out the fact that Canada is the only democratic country in the world to legally ignore pre-born children. “Abortion is no longer addressed in the Criminal Code, and children are only considered “persons” after exiting the birth canal,” Ewert said. “This is so out of line with the rest of the world, and a black mark on Canada’s reputation as an example of protecting human rights. Protecting the rights of pre-born children is standard everywhere in the world and it’s time for Canada to get in line.”
The SignsUp! campaign includes a sign stating, “Canada has no abortion laws,” a message that garnered controversy last year after abortion activists declared it inaccurate. Ewert shakes her head at the backlash to such an inoffensive statement of fact. “It was clear that this response to our billboards was not motivated by solid reasoning. Canadians were reacting in shock ,as they assumed we have a law and that late term abortions don’t happen here. But they are legal and it does happen.”
The fact that Canada has no abortion laws remains a surprise to most Canadians. The SignsUp! campaign seeks to increase awareness and get people thinking about whether they are okay with the status quo in Canada. As the March for Life happens across Canada on May 9, the message that we need a law continues to spread.
We Need a Law will have a presence at the Ottawa, Toronto, Victoria and Edmonton marches, and looks forward to encouraging pro-lifers to stay active all year long. Judging by the enthusiasm for the SignsUp! campaign, pro-life Canadians are eager to do just that.
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