On Friday (18th July), hundreds of people gathered outside Parliament on the hottest day of the year to oppose Lord Falconer's Assisted Dying Bill at a rally led by disability campaign group 'Not Dead Yet UK', and supported by Christian Concern.
A diverse crowd, including the very young, the elderly and many disabled people withstood temperatures of 32 degrees to make their voices heard in Parliament Square. Framed by a vibrant display of balloons, many carried placards calling for a culture of "Care Not Killing"and “Assisted living NOT Assisted Dying."
Among the speakers were Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Lord Alton of Liverpool who described the Bill as a "runnaway train" and called for good palliative care, hospice services and love and compassion for the sick, vulnerable and disabled.
Reflecting on the day, Christian Concern CEO Andrea Williams said:
"The hope and vitality presented by those opposing the Bill was in stark contrast to the pro-euthanasia lobby, which was sadly marked by despair, promoting death not life, and whose already small numbers reduced dramatically as the day went on.
"It was an extraordinary day; one that could not have been predicted. Just three weeks before, the majority of the public, media and – seemingly at least – above 75% of parliamentarians in the House of Lords, were supporting, in various degrees, an assisted suicide Bill.
"On the Friday, because of a hugely successful campaign, from our side, against a change in the law, we began to turn around the tide; throwing doubt on a change in the law and the debate in Parliament suggested this.
"In Parliament, nine and a half hours of debate saw the many arguments against assisted suicide put eloquently and passionately showing up the thin, flawed and dangerous arguments made for assisted suicide.
"As leaflets were handed to passers- by outside the House of Lords we saw many changing their minds as they better understood the real issues at play made all the more poignant by the personal testimonies of those at the rally.
"Furthermore, we witnessed a shift in the media, which had previously been dominated by hard cases and by those calling for a right to be helped to die at a time of their choosing. Disabled and terminally ill people had been absent from the debate, but on Friday not a single newspaper came out in favour of the Bill. The disabled and terminally ill had been heard.
"At Christian Concern, we thank God for the privilege of standing with the disabled, terminally ill and vulnerable, and we will continue work tirelessly to do all that we can to defeat this Bill of despair, which promotes death not life. Good law is there to safeguard the weakest and most vulnerable in society, and to offer care not killing".
