Spanish protest against abortion

The reason for the pro-life march is the plan of the Spanish government to guarantee access to abortion in public hospitals by law. This was reported by the media.

The Yes to Life platform organised the protest. The organisation roughly calculated that about 20,000 people joined. The government in Madrid estimated that that number was around 9,000. The marchers carried boards with texts, such as "Abortion is no good" and "More respect for life". They walked through the centre of the Spanish capital.

Spain legalised abortion in 1985. However, there are still physicians in the country that refuse to carry out the procedure. The Spanish doctor's association thinks they appeal to their right to freedom of conscience. Therefore, women from some regions have to travel hundreds of kilometres to get an abortion.

Law wants to abolish need parental consent for abortion

The government of the socialistic prime minister Pedro Sanchez prepares a law to ensure that all public hospitals carry out abortions. In addition, the law aims to prohibit pro-life demonstrations next to abortion clinics because these would classify as "intimidation". Furthermore, minors from the age of 16 and 17 should be able to end a pregnancy without the consent of their parents, as is the case in other European countries.

The march is the first event of the Yes to Life platform after the Covid pandemic, Protestante Digital reports. According to the news platform, more than 500 organisations joined the march. Susana Macías, one of the protest coordinators, says that it "brings together practically all pro-life organisations and others that support the defence of life."