Irish Pro-Life Groups Unhappy With Google Decision to Suspend Referendum Ads

Google suspended ads related to Ireland's upcoming referendum on abortion. The pro-life side claims it's due to pro-choice bias.

By Liberty McArtor Published on May 12, 2018

In just two weeks Ireland will decide whether to keep abortion illegal. On May 25, the nation will vote to repeal or protect its constitution’s Eighth Amendment, which bans abortion except to save the mother’s life. On Wednesday, Google announced it is suspending online ads from both sides of the campaign. 

The “No” side β€” which opposes repealing the Eighth Amendment β€” isn’t happy. Pro-life organizations are call the move “an attempt to rig the referendum.”

“This decision by Google is not about ‘concerns about the integrity of elections,” said a statement from three Irish pro-life groups. The Pro-Life Campaign, Save the 8th, and the Iona Institute participated in the joint statement. “It is about concerns that the No side might win.”

Foreign Donations Boosting “Yes” Campaign?

Pro-lifers in Ireland often criticize the flow of foreign donations to pro-choice groups. Foreign donations to political campaigns are illegal. Last year, DCLeaks.com revealed a strategy of George Soros’ Open Society Foundations to support repealing the Eighth Amendment. The Irish Times reported on the funding scandal in December.

This week’s joint statement referenced the foreign funding issue as an example of pro-choice bias.”In this referendum, Amnesty Ireland and the IFPA have received over $400,000 in foreign donations. When asked to return an illegal foreign donation, Amnesty refused.” IFPA is the Irish Family Planning Association.

“Minister Harris is content to campaign alongside an organization that has broken the law,” the statement said.

Allegations of Bias in Government

Simon Harris is Ireland’s health minister. He’s been a vocal supporter of the “yes” campaign. Should Ireland vote “yes,” Harris will introduce legislation allowing the abortion of a child up to 12 weeks of age. It will also allow for abortion in certain circumstances when the unborn is older than 12 weeks.

“Online was the only platform available to the NO campaign to speak to voters directly,” the statement said. “That platform is now being undermined.”

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Online ads may have had the farthest reach. But pro-lifers have also utilized door-to-door campaigning, pro-life billboards, and Ireland’s annual pro-life march to get their message across.

Pro-lifers claim the Irish government is out to stifle them. “This campaign has been marked by attacks on every form of legitimate campaigning the NO side has taken part in,” the statement said. The groups also allege “a complete absence of any scrutiny for the YES side.”

Recent Polls Favor Abortion, But Vote Could Be Close

An April poll conducted by The Irish Times showed that 63 percent of the population intend to vote “yes.” Only 37 percent reported an intention to vote “no.”

While the paper maintains the accuracy of the poll, “polls in recent referendums in Ireland have not proven to be highly predictive.” The report also noted that more people answer a poll than will actually vote. Undecided voters were not included in the Times‘ poll. Additionally, the Times reported that “nowadays the public are … more open to changing their minds.”

And that change may be taking place. A more recent poll showed that 45 percent will vote “yes,” 34 percent will vote “no,” and 18 percent are undecided. One pro-life leader claimed it revealed an “encouraging increase in support for retaining the Eighth Amendment.”

“It will be a tight vote,” Save the 8th stated in an email to The Stream. “But we believe that the Irish people will vote No to abortion on demand in Ireland”

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