Thousands protest abortion law in Spain
March 8th, 2010 - 11:19 am ICT by IANSMadrid, March 8 (IANS/EFE) Thousands of people took to the streets in nearly 100 cities Sunday to protest against abortion and demand the nullification of the new law recently approved in Spain regulating voluntary interruption of pregnancy.
The International March for Life 2010 was called by some 270 organisations with the aim of requesting the revocation of the law, which will go into force at the beginning of July and which sets 16 as the age of majority for a woman in deciding whether to end her pregnancy of up to 14 weeks.
Under the slogan “Spain Life Yes. In democracy one listens to the people”, the largest demonstration was held in Madrid.
The march in the capital transpired amid a festive atmosphere and the participants carried Spanish flags and other red banners, as well as red, blue and white balloons that they released at the end of the demonstration.
Leading the march was a float with music on which rode several young people who periodically shouted slogans such as “Zapatero, your mother didn’t abort you”, referring to Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and “This is how we young people of Spain are”.
Upon their arrival at the stage set up on the central Puerta del Sol, those in the vanguard of the march were received by the sounds of ABBA’s song “Mamma Mia.”
After watching a video entitled “Power of life” on a screen installed over the stage, the crowd observed a minute of silence “in memory of the children who are not going to be born”, talk show host Carlos Moreno said.
–IANS/EFE
rd
- Spaniards defy ban on pre-election protests - May 19, 2011
- Hundreds of thousands welcome pope in Madrid - Aug 19, 2011
- Spanish PM expresses support for democracy in Arab world - Jan 31, 2011
- Spain sends out fighter jets to intervene in Libya - Mar 21, 2011
- Spaniards rally against austerity measures - Mar 12, 2012
- Spanish troops to start leaving Afghanistan in January - Dec 07, 2011
- Qatar pledges to invest $4 bn in Spain - Mar 01, 2011
- Spain's king warns of hard times to come - Dec 14, 2011
- Spain's new abortion law comes into force - Jul 06, 2010
- Spanish cartoonist dies - Apr 04, 2012
- Ruben Blades brings salsa show to Spanish capital - Jul 14, 2011
- Spain offers financial aid to Tunisia - Mar 03, 2011
- Spanish aircraft launch mission in Libya - Mar 22, 2011
- Mana captivates fans in Chile - Nov 28, 2011
- Spanish king confers highest honour on Sarkozy - Jan 17, 2012
Tags: abortion law, age of majority, carlos moreno, efe, festive atmosphere, jose luis rodriguez, jose luis rodriguez zapatero, luis rodriguez, luis rodriguez zapatero, mamma mia, minute of silence, nullification, prime minister jose luis rodriguez zapatero, protest abortion, puerta del sol, s song, spanish flags, spanish prime minister, talk show host, thousands protest