OBITUARY: Peter Throp — Brave, dedicated defender of unborn in SA

Originally published by ChristianView Network

Pro-life champion, Peter Throp passed away in Cape Town last Saturday morning having lived to see his dream — the closure of Cape Town’s biggest abortion clinic, Marie Stopes Bree Street.

He leaves his wife and faithful pro-life partner, Terry. His funeral will be at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Parow tomorrow — Friday October 25, at 11am.

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While most people Peter’s age were gardening and watching television, Peter was on the street defending innocent, unborn babies. He fought off three attempts by the City of Cape Town Municipality to stop him:

1. In 2014, Mayor Patricia De Lille wrote an order demanding no pro-life protests within 50 meters of Marie Stopes Bree Street. While many others backed off, Peter stood firm. De Lille was forced to withdraw this, when it was admitted she had no legal right to make the order.

2. The City of Cape Town wrote Peter a letter of demand that he not park his “Abortion is evil” branded car outside Marie Stopes Bree Street. The Mayor was forced to withdraw this after ACDP councillor Grant Haskin asked De Lille to justify what regulation gave her a right to demand this.

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3. The City of Cape Town brought criminal charges against Peter for placing ‘Value life’ stickers over illegal abortion advertising stickers on lamp posts to obscure the phone numbers. He was found guilty and given a sentence of a fine or three months imprisonment suspended for five years. This was overturned on appeal at the Cape High Court. It was absurd the municipality prosecuted him for doing a public service of defacing illegal advertising, not their lamp posts. Even more absurd they are not investigating and pursuing the illegal abortionists whose phone numbers are on all the illegal adverts.
https://gatewaynews.co.za/peter-throp-speaks-out-after-supreme-court-upholds-
his-appeal-over-pro-life-stickers-conviction/

In 2017 Peter and his wife were asked to leave a restaurant for wearing pro-life slogan clothing, bringing calls by pro-life people to boycott the restaurant. To many peoples surprise, Peter opposed the boycott arguing the principle that the owner had a right who to allow in his business.
https://gatewaynews.co.za/dont-boycott-restaurant-pray-for-them-and-support-them-say-evicted-couple/

Peter was victorious in all three cases and in spearheading the campaign to close Marie Stopes abortion clinic, Bree Street. His reward is in heaven. Who will rise to fill the space left behind by Peter Throp and continue this good work?

Gateway News endorses ChristianView Network’s tribute to Peter and adds a few reflections based on our dealings with him. The first time was in 2011 when he snapped a controversial picture inside Marie Stopes as a door opened during his daily early morning prayer vigil outside the abortion clinic. By that time he had logged more than 1 200 hours praying outside the clinic. It was clear we were dealing with a very resolute man.

Another enduring impression was Peter’s uncompromising, unpolitically-correct, in-your-face, stance on abortion, exemplified by his bright-red, “Abortion is evil” car that he would park in front of abortion clinics and other high-profile places. Peter was hardcore about the reality of abortion — the killing of defenceless babies in the womb.

A story we wrote which gave me a fresh glimpse into Peter’s heart was about his role in saving a baby — and her mother who was feeling suicidal about her unwanted pregnancy. Peter counselled her on the street after she approached him while he was placing Value Life stickers over illegal abortion advertisements. He and Terry stood by the mother after she agreed to have her baby, who she named Caiden Peter after her knight in shining armour. Peter’s face in the picture of him holding the baby speaks volumes about his heart.

Another encounter with Peter that comes to mind was when I spotted his red “Abortion is evil car” parked on a Karoo field at the 2014 Karoo Mighty Men Conference near Middelburg. He explained that he was in the middle of a long road trip mission to spread the truth about abortion in smaller towns. He said it was was a lonely mission and he was at the conference to search for direction, confirmation and fellowship.