Ottawa residents are expected to face traffic disruptions on Thursday afternoon as the anti-abortion event “March for Life” moves downtown.
The procession is expected to start on Parliament’s hill. The protesters will leave the Hill at around 13:30 and cross the city center before returning to the Hill at around 15:00.
In a press release Wednesday, Ottawa police said they expected the closure of 13-hour highways and urged travelers to find alternative routes for their afternoon trips.
Wellington Street from Bank Street to Elgin Street remains closed to vehicles after a week-long Freedom Convoy occupation of some downtown streets in late January and February.
People attending the March for Life abortion rally held plaques and posters in front of Parliament’s steps on the hill on May 11, 2017. Police are asking residents to plan alternative routes on Thursday afternoon as traffic delays are expected. (Trevor Pritchard / CBC)
The national march for life has been held annually in the capital for 25 years, according to the march’s website. It was fully virtual in 2020 and returned to hybrid form in 2021.
The procession is being held on the anniversary of the day in 1969, when the omnibus bill C-150 was passed, decriminalizing contraception and allowing abortion in certain circumstances. His website says he is also protesting for medical care in the 2016 Dying Laws.
In recent years, the march has attracted thousands of crowds, along with counter-protesters.
This year, Planned Parenthood will set up a table near the Terry Fox statue in front of Parliament Hill to distribute safe sex materials and information. Staff and volunteers will also hold signs advertising the organization’s services.
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