Member's statement: International Safe Abortion Day: Belfast City Hall Illumination
Member's statement by Ms Diane Forsythe on .
- MLA
- Ms Diane Forsythe
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 7 September 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- International Safe Abortion Day: Belfast City Hall Illumination
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5669612
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The DUP is, and always has been, a firmly pro-life party. We are dedicated to giving a voice to the voiceless and advocating at every turn for the right to life for babies from the moment at which they are formed in the womb. Only months ago in the Chamber, every corner of the House came together with genuine compassion to introduce baby loss certificates, recognising the lives of babies who died in the womb. I am devastated, however, to see the stark contrast between that compassion and that recognition of the life of unborn babies and, beyond the Chamber, a majority of Belfast city councillors having voted to light up City Hall in support of abortion. The DUP has opposed that and taken a stand for life. Our councillor Tracy Kelly proposed that the illumination should not proceed, but her proposal was defeated by 36 votes to 18. Abortion is not something to celebrate. Belfast City Hall should not be illuminated in support of an international campaign seeking its further liberalisation and the removal of restrictions. Belfast City Hall is a significant civic symbol, representing the people of Belfast and those across Northern Ireland. City Hall belongs to everyone. It should not be turned into a billboard for abortion. It should be a place where the value, dignity and well-being of every person is recognised and protected, not a place that is used to endorse publicly one side of a deeply contested moral issue.
The language "Safe Abortion" also ignores the reality that abortion is never safe for the unborn child. Both lives matter: women who face difficult circumstances deserve compassion and meaningful support, but abortion ends an unborn baby's life and leaves the mother facing a lifetime of loss. Since abortion services were introduced to Northern Ireland under the Abortion Regulations 2020, 11,192 abortions were carried out here up to 31 March 2025, with the 2025-26 figures still to be published. Those are innocent lives lost. It is too late for them and too late for their parents, but it is not too late to stop and reflect. Over 20,000 people have signed a petition against the illumination. Feelings are incredibly strong. It was disgusting to watch recent coverage of the Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald, and her colleagues celebrating the removal of the three-day wait for abortion in the Republic of Ireland. Abortion is not something to celebrate. That is so distasteful. Belfast City Hall should not be illuminated to celebrate abortion. The DUP continues to oppose that. We will call in the decision, and we urge other parties to reconsider and listen to their constituents. We will stand up for every baby, as they are fearfully and wonderfully made in God's image. Every life matters.
460 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.42 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- Criteria met: Controversy escalation (0.75).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.68).
- Subject area: Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues.
- The overall probability was low and the text did not adopt any identity-based framing.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.33 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.08 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.40 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.26 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.75 | Yes |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.30 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.42 | Between thresholds |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.68 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.05 |
| Adopts it | 0.27 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.99 |
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.01 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 16:12 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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