US Groups Drive UK Anti-Abortion Activism

American anti-abortion organizations and figures are increasingly influencing a new generation of anti-abortion activism among young people in the United Kingdom, according to analysts and activists. This trend, observed in recent months, follows the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States, which appears to have galvanized US groups to expand their international reach.

Groups such as 40 Days for Life, founded in Texas in 2004, have established a growing presence in the UK, organizing protests outside abortion clinics. Additionally, Turning Point USA, a conservative advocacy organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, launched a UK branch in 2018.

Kirk's rhetoric and social media presence have inspired some young British activists, leading to the creation of the Charlie Kirk Young Pro-lifer prize by a coalition of ten UK anti-abortion groups in October 2023.

This increased US influence coincides with a reported rise in anti-abortion sentiment among some British youth, with factors including a renewed interest in Christianity and opposition to the Crime and Policing Bill, which aims to decriminalize abortion in England and Wales. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) notes a shift in anti-abortion campaigning tactics in the UK since 2013, moving from quiet protests to more organized, American-style demonstrations.