March for the Babies Returns to Melbourne’s Streets in 2022
The March for the Babies was able to make its return to the streets of Melbourne in 2022 after Dan Andrews’ lockdowns forced the annual pro-life event online. The march is held on the second Saturday of October near or on the anniversary of the passing of the Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 in Victoria which legalized abortion in the state up until birth to demand its repeal and for all life including the unborn to be protected by the law.
The Victorian Health Minister in 2008 who spearheaded this extreme abortion law was the current Premier of Victoria Dan Andrews. This week Dan Andrews attacked the Anglican-affiliated City on the Hill Church for being against abortion because its chair Andrew Thorburn was briefly the CEO of the Essendon Football Club. Sadly for Dan, this did not stop Christians present from praying publicly, with Pastor Victor Soo leading the prayer from the podium.
The march is led by the President of the March for the Babies Victorian MLC Bernie Finn. Once again, he hosted the march with propriety and his usual witty candour, keeping the people in high spirits. Bernie had been a loyal member of the Liberal Party for 40 years and was the Member for Tullamarine from 1992 to 1999 and has represented the Western Metro Region in the Legislative Council. Victorian Liberal Leader Matthew Guy led a successful campaign to expel Bernie Finn from the Victorian Liberal Partyroom.
Bernie Finn has since rejoined the Democratic Labour Party which he was a member of and candidate for in the early 1980s. Bernie will be recontesting his seat at the Victorian state election on November 26. The recently revived Family First Party also had a presence at the march and will also be contesting the state election.
Every march up to 2019 had begun at Treasury Gardens and finished at a sound stage outside Victorian Parliament House with speeches and songs. But the space outside Victoria’s Parliament House had been booked by the pro-abortion counter-protestors which includes Antifa, Socialists, and members of the Reason and Animal Justice Parties. Therefore the sound stage was located back at Treasury Gardens. Victoria Police wouldn’t even allow the marchers to just walk past Parliament House for ‘safety reasons’.
Still, no amount of security could stop the pro-abortionists from interrupting a peaceful pro-life protest. There were three interruptions from pro-abortion advocates during the formal proceedings including two women who ran up on stage.
The main chant from the pro-abortion infiltrators was that ‘pro-life is a lie’, whatever that means. The only lie being told today is the one telling women that it is ok to kill one’s baby in utero. Thankfully, Victoria Police knew which side to take this time and with the assistance of the Australian Peacemakers hauled them out quickly. Whilst detractors’ behavior was hateful and vitriolic the pro-lifers remained calm and loving. Maybe this is something they can reflect on.
The main speakers were the retiring Liberal Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood, Kay Painter a pro-life abortion regret activist from Idaho in the United States, and Jasmine Yuen the Victorian Director of the Australian Christian Lobby. There were easily over 1000 pro-life marchers in attendance for the first March for the Babies in 3 years. Given the current anti-Christian culture which exists today, it was a change seeing so many Christians rally together to take a stand for life. With a state election a month and a half away the abhorrent state of Victoria’s abortion laws will certainly be on many voters’ minds.