The rally began in Martin Place, a pedestrian mall in the center of Sydney’s business district, at 6 PM and lasted until 9 PM. Thousands of protestors marched from Martin Place to the front of New South Wales Parliament buildings where legislators in the state’s Legislative Council, or upper house, were debating the bill.

Paul Hanrahan of Family Life International Australia told LifeSiteNews that he thought close to ten thousand pro-life advocates attended. There were speeches by the Archbishop of Sydney and other religious leaders and politicians, as well as an ultrasound demonstration that amplified the sound of the beating heart of an unborn baby over the large crowd.

“I’ve never seen this many people at a pro-life event in Australia or so engaged,” Hanrahan said.

“It was a very vocal protest.”

The rally was organized by the New South Wales Right to Life and co-sponsored by several other groups, including Family Life International, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, the Maronite Eparchy, and the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy. It was a peaceful protest, untroubled by pro-abortion activists.

“The New South Wales police presence was very strong, and there was no significant counter-presence,” Hanrahan explained.

The Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019, which will permit even sex-selection abortion, was passed through New South Wales Legislative Assembly, or lower house, on August 8 by a vote of 59 to 31. It now has to pass through the New South Wales Legislative Council, or lower house, and receive the Governor’s assent for it to become law.

Hanrahan said that the Bill is controversial even for the way it was introduced.

“It was pushed into the Parliament,” he told LifeSiteNews.

“They had a desire to ram it through without public consultation,” he continued, and explained that this was very unusual.

“They tried to pull a ‘swiftie’ on the people of New South Wales”…

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