Paris March for Life draws 25,000 participants

De Catholic News Agency

Paris, France, Jan 19, 2010 / 02:21 am (CNA).- An estimated 25,000 pro-life advocates took part in the sixth Paris March for Life on Sunday to mark the 35th anniversary of the legalization of abortion in France and to protest its “blatant injustice” towards the unborn and the “unspeakable sufferings” it causes women.

The March for Life, called “Marche pour la Vie” in French, brought together 15 French pro-life groups for the non-sectarian and non-partisan event. Organizers said a majority of participants were families or under 25 years old.

Participation increased from last year’s attendance of 15,000 people. The 2010 event saw an unprecedented mobilization effort on social networks like Facebook, March organizers said.

Cécile Edel, president of the group Choisir La Vie, called upon French citizens to reflect upon the “disastrous result” of 35 years of legal abortion and the “unspeakable sufferings” of millions of women.

She denounced the “blatant injustice” committed against millions of the unborn.

A dozen international delegations took part in the event, including a representative from the British group Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC).

Dolores Meehan, co-founder of San Francisco’s West Coast Walk for Life, also addressed the event.

“Future generations of Europeans will be able to bring about a culture of Life thanks to your courage to come and publicly say ‘No!’ to abortion,” she declared.

France has the second highest abortion rate in Western Europe and also one of the highest contraception rates. The 1975 abortion law’s sponsor, Simon Veil, herself has deemed the high abortion rate “distressing.”