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Thousands march for life in the Netherlands following poll showing youth now most pro-life generation

Over 11,000 people joined the Netherlands ‘March For Life’ 2019 to proclaim the right to life of unborn babies and highlight the suffering that abortion brings.

Campaigners marched in silence through the city of Utrecht carrying signs that said: “we stand up for the rights of the unborn child,” “we love them both” and “I am the pro-life generation”

The organisers of the event, noted that a “striking” number of young people were in attendance.

The Leader of the Reformed Political Party, Kees Van der Staaij, also noted the young crowd, saying: “more and more younger people say that it has gone too far how that is arranged in the Netherlands”. He added: “There is change in the air”.

Gert Jan Maarten Segers, a member of the Christian Union Party, said: “It is 2019, not 1970. Young people think more critically about abortion and are open to arguments. How encouraging is that!”

Researchers at Tilburg University found that Dutch people in their 20s and 30s are more likely to be pro-life than those who are older than them.

The study, due to be published in the journal Mens en Maatschappij, is based on data from a European study that has been ongoing for almost 40 years. Over 7,000 Dutch people are part of the research project, answering questions on issues such as abortion and euthanasia.

The difference between younger and older generations is only getting bigger, the Tilburg researchers say.

This is an emerging trend across Europe and around the world.

UK polling, conducted in London earlier this year, shows that 18-34-year-olds were also more likely to be pro-life than those older than them.

Gallup’s annual public opinion poll on abortion revealed younger generations were more likely to call for Roe v. Wade’s overturn than older survey respondents.

The Director of Netherlands’ March for Life, Kees van Helden believes it is important to have the freedom to offer support to women outside abortion clinics. He told the young March for Life audience: “At the clinics we still find women who cancel their abortions at the entrance to the clinic every week. As long as we stand there and people abort the abortion, that means that there is something structurally wrong… So something really needs to change.”

He revealed the pro-life organisation are busier than ever assisting women with unplanned pregnancies. In 2014, they had 100 requests for help, but last year received over 520 requests.

Over 30,000 abortions take place in the Netherlands each year.

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Dear reader,

Despite the Leadbeater assisted-suicide Bill passing its Third Reading on 20 June, it scraped through by just 23 votes (314-291) after enjoying a 55-vote majority at Second Reading. Had 12 more MPs switched sides, the Bill would be dead. It now limps into the Lords with a wafer-thin majority, where peers can amend, delay or reject it outright.

THE CHALLENGE

Dignity in Dying, My Death My Decision and Humanists UK have poured millions into pushing assisted suicide and will fight hard to stop the Lords overturning the Bill.

At the same time, the Antoniazzi abortion-up-to-birth amendment, passed by MPs in June, also heads to the Lords. If it becomes law, it would no longer be illegal for women to perform their own abortions for any reason – including sex-selective purposes – and at any point up to and during birth.

We will be up against the UK’s largest abortion providers, BPAS and MSI Reproductive Choices (formerly Marie Stopes), who are expected to push for even more extreme changes to our abortion laws in the Lords.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Thousands of vulnerable lives are now at stake. Battling these two threats is the biggest and most expensive effort in our history, and has drained our limited resources. To fight effectively on both fronts, we aim to raise £200,000 by midnight this Sunday (13 July 2025).

Every donation, large or small, will help protect lives, and UK taxpayers can add 25p to every £1 through Gift Aid at no extra cost.

Will you make a donation now to help protect vulnerable lives from these major threats?

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Help fight major assisted suicide and abortion up to birth threats.