Activists rally against abortion

More than 800 pro-life activists, including Catholic Archbishop Barry Hickey marched to Parliament House tonight to protest the 12th anniversary of the legalisation of abortion in WA.

According to the protestors, since the legalisation of abortion on May 26, 1998 approximately 100 000 babies have been aborted in WA.

Carrying candles and placards denouncing abortion, the protestors began their "remembrance walk and rally for life" from St Mary's Cathedral in East Perth shortly after 7pm.

But before their 3km march to Parliament House began, they were met by a small but vociferous group of pro-choice activists, some of whom brandished placards that read, "Keep your rosemaries off my ovaries".

Kitty Hawkins, a pro-choice activist and student said their aim was not to hijack the anti-abortion rally but they wanted to send a message to the community that it is a woman's right to choose whether or not she wanted an abortion.

"It is not the role of the Church or the State to decide what happens to a woman's body. Abortion is still part of the penal code of Australian States and Territories and we want to see the government taking active steps towards women not becoming criminals by taking action," Ms Hawkins said.

Some pro-life activists did not take kindly to the presence of the pro-choice activists with some yelling "baby killers" as they walked by.

Spokesman for the Coalition for the Defence of Human Life, Richard Egan said abortion was a tragedy for both the child and mother.

"Many women hurt after their abortion, it doesn't solve the problems they had with their crisis pregnancy," Mr Egan said."

"We also want to reaffirm that we will never forget and we will never accept abortion just like in past times people never accepted slavery which was abolished or Apartheid in South Africa."

Archbishop Hickey said the march was not run by the Church but was organised by a concerned association which was worried about abortion being so easy.

"I support them in sending a different message to parliament that abortion is against God's law and it is taking innocent life and it is a violent act done to women," he said.