To mark the thirteenth anniversary of the legalisation of abortion on demand in Western Australia, the Coalition for the Defence of Human Life held a Walk and Rally for Life on the evening of Tuesday, 24 May. Approximately 600 people of all ages participated in the event.

The evening commenced at Theatre Gardens, Subiaco, with introductory comments from Dwight Randall, President of the Coalition, followed by a talk from Richard Egan. Richard, who was born at KEMH, reminded participants that since abortion was legalised in 1998, KEMH has been the officially designated facility for killing babies beyond 20 weeks gestation. He spoke about how each of these 400 infants received a death sentence passed by a secret panel of government appointed doctors. He said:

30-40 babies of 20 weeks gestation and more are being killed at KEMH each year. They can be killed with the full approval of the State if two doctors on a panel of six appointed by the Minister for Health agree the killing is “justified”.

The last death sentence for a murderer was carried out in WA in 1964 and capital punishment for serious criminals was formally abolished in 1984. Capital punishment was imposed in open court by a judge whose identity was known to all on a person who had committed serious crimes.

The panel imposing death sentences on babies is secret—the names remain unpublished—and the babies have of course committed no crime at all—unless it is a crime to be less than perfect. They are killed for discriminatory eugenic reasons—their life is thought to be not worth living—because they have Down’s Syndrome or spina bifida or some other disability.

Richard urged the gathering to sign a petition against late term abortion calling on the Legislative Council to “inquire into post-20 week abortions performed in Western Australia since 1998 with a view to changing the law to prohibit all abortions after 20 weeks gestation”.

After the conclusion of his talk, the gathering walked around the front of the hospital and then took time to reflect and pray as they passed through the MemorialGarden, at the corner of Railway Road and Barker Road, where the ashes of babies aborted at KEMH between 20 and 28 weeks are interred.

The crowd then walked past the busy cafés, restaurants and theatres in Rokeby Road and Hay Street behind banners which read “Abortion Stops a Beating Heart” and “You, me, everybody: we are all just grown up embryos.” Many people silently watched.

At Parliament House, Dwight Randall opened the rally in a minute of silence to remember the 108,000 babies killed in WA since1998. He said:

Earlier this evening we reflected upon the tragedy of the killing of over 400 post-20-week unborn children at Perth’s premier maternity hospital since abortion was legalised in Western Australia in 1998.

These 400 children, searched out in the womb and then destroyed discreetly because they were less than perfect, represent only one third of one per cent of the total number of children killed by abortion in Western Australia since May 26^th, 1998, when the Acts Amendment (Abortion Bill 1998 became law. The other 99 and two thirds per cent lift the total to a staggering 108,000 children killed in this state with the sanction of the Parliament.

Thank you taking the time this evening to remember these 108,000 children who have been robbed of life over the past 13 years, and to publicly demonstrate your support for children in the womb, and the mothers who carry them. Thank you for expressing eloquently, by your presence, your opposition to the killing of unborn children in this state.

This Thursday will mark the 13th anniversary of the passage of the Acts Amendment (Abortion) Bill 1998, the most heartless piece of legislation that has ever been passed by our parliament.

We are assembled here this evening to remember these 108,000 unborn children. We mourn for these children, who instead of laughing and playing and learning and growing and being loved, have had their lives cut short. We pledge to never forget these little children who were utterly forsaken by this parliament.

In addition, we mourn for the tens-of-thousands of women who have been harmed by abortion, regardless of whether it was their choice, made much easier by the passage of the legislation, or whether they were pressured by others. We pray that they will find forgiveness and peace.

Will you please join with me in a minute of silence to remember the children, and to remember their mothers, and others who have been harmed under this legislation?

The Rally was then addressed by Narelle Williams, a counsellor with Healing Hearts International in the fields of post abortion counselling and other traumas, as well as a volunteer counsellor at Pregnancy Problem House. Narelle talked about how “abortion can bring devastation to a woman (regardless of her age) that can have a lifelong impact that is often far worse than having a baby at a young age or in unfavourable circumstances.”

She also spoke of the life affirming work of pregnancy support agencies: “I love the work of places like Pregnancy Problem House here in Perth. … just last week, I had the privilege of offering love and support to a 16 year old girl and to an 18 year old girl – both wanting to keep their babies, but both under pressure from everyone in their lives to abort. … The work of those places here in our city is so valuable and we need to support them.”

Helen Sawyer, from the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, shared about some of the babies whose lives were saved through the peaceful, prayerful 40 Days for Life witness held at the Nanyara abortion facility in Rivervale earlier this year. Helen recounted: “One of the most memorable images was of the young couple who came out of the clinic and said that they were going to keep their baby.They stood on the footpath, in a long embrace, oblivious to the traffic and the many eyes upon them, infused with relief and joy at the decision they had made.To see this little family, intact and protected because of the prayers of so many, both present and in their churches and homes, was very moving.”

Several prolife MPs joined the Rally for Life on the steps of Parliament House and addressed the crowd by encouraging participants to keep up the fight to defend every human life. The following MPs were either present or sent apologies: Mr Peter Abetz MLA Member for Southern River; Mr Frank Alban MLA Member for Swan Hills; Mr Ian Britza MLA Member for Morley; Mr Vince Catania MLA Member for North West; Mrs Liza Harvey MLA Member for Scarborough; Dr Graham Jacobs MLA Member for Eyre; Mr Bill Johnston MLA Member for Cannington; Mr Tony Krsticevic MLA Member for Carine; Ms Margaret Quirk MLA Member for Girrawheen; Hon Michelle Roberts MLA Member for Midland; Hon Tom Stephens MLA Member for Pilbara; Hon Helen Bullock MLC Member for Mining and Pastoral Region; Hon Ed Dermer MLC Member for North Metropolitan Region; Hon Kate Doust MLC Member for South Metropolitan Region; and Hon Nick Goiran MLC Member for South Metropolitan Region.