A social media campaign and emails sent to hotel were reasons cited for calling off conference.A Dublin hotel has cancelled a pro-life conference after receiving a barrage of online criticism from abortion advocates.
The event, organized by Human Life International, was scheduled for Saturday, September 30, at the Ashling Hotel in Dublin. The conference was supposed to address the “effects of abortion on women’s physical and mental health.” According to the Times, the speakers, Dr. Angela Lanfranchi and Professor Priscilla Coleman, were expected to discuss links between abortion, breast cancer and suicide.
The hotel contacted the group’s executive director, Patrick McCrystal, a week before the event to inform him that they were calling it off, according to a report in the Irish Independent.
“The manager himself spoke to me directly of 50 pages of commentary, emails and social media, that a Facebook page had been set up opposing the conference, as well as diatribe, intimidation, upset of his staff, personal visits to the hotel and threats of protest at the hotel if conference continues. In the interest of health and safety of his staff, he had to cancel venue,” said McCrystal.
McCrystal said the move was “yet another example of censorship and is an attack on free speech.”
“Who decides who may speak in Ireland? This is an attack on the very foundation of democracy in our country. These women are highly respected in their fields. Yet an angry mob have decided that only certain voices are allowed to be heard in Ireland,” McCrystal continued.
The cancelled conference was scheduled on the same day as a pro-abortion march in Dublin.
A spokesman for the hotel refused to comment.
