Fifteen Catholic bishops join thousands at London March for Life

Thousands of pro-life demonstrators gathered in London on Saturday, September 5, 2026, for the annual march organized by March For Life UK. The march began at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster and ended in Parliament Square. It came amid debate over abortion law in England, Scotland and Wales, where pro-life campaigners are pressing for tighter restrictions.

Ben Thatcher, one of the organizers, said: "Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God. Abortion ends that life, and when an abortion ends a life, we are faced with an immense tragedy that affects not only the person involved but also their family, society and the culture we live in." Under current law, abortions can generally be carried out up to the 24th week of pregnancy, subject to certain legal conditions. Buffer zones around clinics and hospitals that perform abortions also restrict activities that could influence or harass people seeking those services.

Bishops take part

Fifteen Catholic bishops joined the march after celebrating Mass at Westminster Cathedral. Paul Hendricks, auxiliary bishop of Southwark, said: "I support life at every stage. We must defend our values. We have our principles and we follow Jesus."

John Wilson, archbishop of Southwark, said: "I am here because I believe in the beauty and dignity of human life. [...] We are united in a spirit of beauty, peace and joy to affirm that human life counts, that every life counts, from conception to natural death."

Paul Mason, bishop for the armed forces, also joined the march. "I came here today to defend life, from conception to natural death, in a culture where this no longer seems to be valued," he said. "I think it is important to take a stand and to say that the human dignity of every person lies in the fact that they were created in the image of God, however small they may be."

The march

Participants sang Christian hymns, among them "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" and the Salve Regina, as they walked through sunny London streets carrying placards reading "Abortion harms the family," "Banning abortion saves lives" and "I have joined the answer."

Father Paul Grogan called abortion "the most fundamental human rights issue of our time," and said living the Catholic faith means bearing witness to the beauty of human life from conception to its natural end. Thatcher criticized the justification of abortion as "health care," saying: "I find it absolutely outrageous that a human life, created in the image of God, can be ended and justified by that slogan."

Pro-choice counter-protest

Hundreds of people took part in a pro-choice counter-protest, chanting "abortion is a human right," "not the Church, not the state, we decide our own fate," "Christian fascists, out" and "leave our ovaries alone." Tilly Middlehurst, a pro-choice activist and Cambridge student, said: "I came to defend our rights as women. I want to bring as many people as possible here to show that [pro-life activists] are a minority and that they have no place here."

Before the march set off, pro-life activist Ruth Price was confronted by angry counter-protesters as she tried to hand out pro-life leaflets. "I wanted to speak to the people who murder young children," Price said. "I had no intention of hurting them. I work with adults who have severe learning difficulties and their life is valuable. They are precious in God's eyes, and I want everyone to know that we respect the life of the mother."

Last year's London pro-life march drew about 10,000 people, and the organizers expected to confirm similar numbers this year.