Between 4000 and 4500 people, police estimate, participated in the Grand Rassemblement Pour le Droit a la Vie (Great Rally for the Right to Life) on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City.
The rally, organized by Coalition Pour la Vie under the leadership of Mme Lucille Lavoie-Gordon, drew pro-life groups from across the province of Quebec.
Before the rally got underway, a small aircraft flew over the city, pulling a huge sign which read, “LOI POUR L’EFANT, A NAITRE – PLAINES D’AB (LAW FOR THE UNBORN CHILD – PLAINS OF AB).”
Poems, personal testimonies concerning abortion and songs with a distant French Canadian flair punctuated speeches.
Members of the clergy were present, including the Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec. Jean-Paul Labrie and Al Bowen, pastor of the evangelical church, Carefour Chretien de la Capitale (Christian Crossroads of the Capital). Mr. Bowen called for an effective ministry to young people who are received about the issues of human life. Member of a new Catholic community, Miriam, called to renew family life in Quebec are also on hand to lend their support.
Marcel Giganac represented the Chevaliers de Colomb (Knights of Columbus). In a fiery, uncompromising speech, Montreal lawyer Alexander Kouzan insisted of the impossibility of sanctioning any abortion.
Madame Lavoie-Gordon read a message from recent pro-life convert, Liberal MP Don Boudria, who was absent of unexpected business in Alberta. He encouraged pro-lifers to persevere in the lobbying of their MPs.
Tory MP for Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Edouard Desroisers spoke about the need for visiting schools with the pro-life message. He said out society resembles a ship without a captain and called for the return of discipline on all levels.
Dr. Andre lafrance, who recently lost a holy-contested PC nomination in Charleton-Gloucestoer to pro-abortion feminist, Maureen McTeer, also addresseded the crowd in uncompromising terms.
Coalation Pour le Vie Quebec circulated a strongly worded petition challenging Ottawa to pass a law quickly to protect preborn babies from contreception. It also called for guarentees that such a law will be enforced and that new services be established to aid pregnant women.
As the rally ended, 700 pink and green ballons imprinted with pro-life messages and respresenting the 700 Quebec babies killed every week were released. In the background Chantel Pary sang “Manan, ne ne fais pas mourir” (“Mommy, don’t make me die”).
