Anti-abortion rallies across Ontario Saturday urged the government to stop paying for the procedure ahead of a demonstration at the end of October.
Three protests were held in Ottawa, with the largest involving around 75 people at Premier Dalton McGuinty’s south-end constituency office.
Those involved said these rallies have nothing to do with the recent motion in Parliament to study when life begins, instead focusing on financial reasons.
“We strongly object to abortion, strongly object our money is going to an elective procedure,” said Johanne Brownrigg, a lobbyist for the Campaign Life Coalition. “There are serious cuts that have to be made to healthcare.”
The Campaign Life Coalition said their goal Saturday was to push for abortions to be removed from Ontario’s health insurance plan.
“It means those people who want abortions would have to pay for them,” said Marg Mountain. “It’s not infringing on their right to have an abortion, it's just that by paying for it they're infringing on my rights.”
Brownrigg said rallies were taking place in 44 ridings across the province ahead of a planned demonstration at Queen’s Park on Oct. 30.
Last year’s Toronto gathering attracted about 2,000 people.
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Natalie Duddridge