Campaigners protesting against abortion in an international pro-life protest have started their 40 day stand in Sheffield.
The 40 Days to Life protest involves a vigil for Christian supporters standing in prayer for 24 hours for 6 weeks, outside institutions that provide or support abortion.
The volunteers present, who didn’t want to be named, said: “We always say our goal is to make abortion unthinkable.
“Instead of saying just have an abortion, which happens a lot these days, especially in young people, we must think of the alternatives.”
The protest is taking place near Hallamshire Hospital, but safe access zones have moved protesters to the corner between Glossop Road and Upper Hanover Street.
Safe access zones became law in October 2024, placing an 150 meter boundry around all clinics and hopsitals to protect women accessing abortion services.
The law made it a criminal offence to influcene any persons desicion regarding an abortion, hand out anti-abortion leaflets or holding vigils, within these zones.
A protester said: “We just felt like this was a good spot for people to really witness and see what we’re doing.”
“When we’ve stood in the past lots of fruitful conversations have come about from people who want to engage with us, pray with us and know more.”
With stares from pedestrians and loud horns from passing cars, there has been “mixed responses”.
A protester said: “It’s quite an emotive subject, but most people are probably quite indifferent to us being here.”
“If it makes people stop and think about abortion that’s a good thing.”
40 Days to Life, described as “the greatest threat to choice”, practice the belief that abortion refers to the intent of terminating a pregnancy.
Many volunteers have had personal experiences with abortion, one of the campaigners said: “We all know someone who’s had one.
“My sister going back 40 years, was pregnant with a baby who had hydrocephalus, and the advice at the time was to terminate the pregnancy or there would be a risk to her life.
“It’s ultimately about saving as many lives as possible.”
The organisation was founded in Texas, USA in 2004 with the aim to ‘end the injustice of abortion”, the 40 days referring to the pattern of important events in the Bible that last 40 days.