Anti-abortion side don ‘save the 8th’ jumpers against repealing
Supporters of the Repeal the 8th campaign have become synonymous for their penchant for a certain black slogan sweatshirt.
The Repeal jumpers sell out in mere hours whenever and wherever they are sold, and you can't walk down the street without spotting someone wearing their political beliefs on their sleeve.
Proclaiming your politics through personalised merchandise is no longer the sole territory of Repeal supporters, as anti-abortion campaigners have adopted the trend, creating 'Save the 8th' jumpers to showcase the beliefs of the self-styled "silent majority."
The Life Institute website, the brain-child behind the 'Save the 8th' merchandise, claims that requests for "more than 10,000 'Save the 8th' stickers, badges, bumper stickers and T-shirts" have been heard by the site, and they are responding to the demand.
The organisation, who have previously likened a woman's right to choose to the genocide of Jewish people under the Nazi regime and the enslavement before America's Civil War, have begun producing merchandise for their followers.
"It is time to let abortion activists in Ireland know that the silent majority is not going to be silent anymore!" proclaims the site.
Wearing #savethe8th through Dublin airport today in celebration of all the lives saved by the 8th amendment, don't #repealthe8th #loveboth pic.twitter.com/fcsDkfrQ2i
— Chloe Kennedy (@chloee_kennedyy) January 5, 2017
"We will stand up against abortion and fight to preserve the right to life for everyone – born and unborn!"
A quick social media search shows that young supporters of the Life Institute are happy to don their Save the 8th hoodies with pride, with many of the 170 #savethe8th tagged photos on Instagram showcasing the colourful sweatshirts.
However, the Repeal project has over 18,488 posts on the hashtag #repealthe8th, suggesting that public opinion, on social media at least, is in favour of the pro-choice ideals.
Girl wearing a 'save the 8th' hoodie moved seats to sit beside me. I am wearing a REPEAL jumper. Her friends are currently giggling at me
— Alannah Kearney (@alancant_even) November 17, 2016
Oh my god I just walked past a girl wearing a save the 8th jumper in dcu and im sickened
— emma (@sadgirlosclub) October 18, 2016
The Life Institute has been working to combat the idea of repealing the 8th, through their project 'Save Lives, Save the 8th', and have created not only hoodies but various other forms of merchandise.
"If you’re tired of hearing the media endlessly prattle on about ‘Repeal the 8th’ then display your sticker with pride," says the site.
The Life Institute declined to comment on the hoodies or their various projects for this article.
