Western Australia's 2014 Walk and Rally for Life was held in Perth this week calling for an end to abortion in the state.
Event organisers said around 700 people participated in the event on Tuesday night which began at Kings Park. They then processed behind banners proclaiming "You, me, all of us are just grown up embryos" and "Abortion stops a beating heart: No one deserves abortion" to Parliament House where they were greeted by ten prolife members of the Western Australian Parliament.
Five of the parliamentarians who came along also spoke on the night.
Abortion has been legal in Western Australia since May 1998 and its estimated 134,000 unborn children have died in the sixteen years since it became legal. More than 600 of these babies have been killed after 20 weeks gestation solely because of a disability such as Down Syndrome, spina bifida or dwarfism.
Several people shared their personal story on the night including Peter Rowley, who has spina bifida, and how he is now caring for his elderly parents. ACL board member Michelle Pearse read a delightful story from 21-year-old Caroline Crawford who has Down Syndrome and Alan Stevens shared about his two children with Fragile X Syndrome.
The organisers also collected over 500 signatures on an open letter to Premier Colin Barnett calling for greater protection for the unborn in WA.
The 2014 Walk and Rally for Life was organised by the Coalition for the Defence of Human Life, of which the Australian Christian Lobby is an affiliate.
The parliamentarians present included Hon Nick Goiran MLC, Member for South Metropolitan; Hon Michelle Roberts MLA, Member for Midland, Dr Graham Jacobs MLA, Member for Eyre, Margaret Quirk MLA, Member for Girrawheen, Peter Abetz MLA, Member for Southern River, Hon Kate Doust MLA, Member for South Metropolitan, Bill Johnson MLA, Member for Cannington, Glenys Godfrey MLA, Member for Belmont, Tony Krsticevic MLA, Member for Carine and Frank Alban MLA, Member for Swan Hills. Senator elect Joe Bullock was also present.
Photos supplied