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Recent articles by Cian Lynch
Anti-choice extremists defeated in Ireland but new abortion legislatio... Jul 15 13 Ireland: Total ban on gay men's blood donation is no longer justifiabl... Jun 29 13 Irlanda: In pochi alla "Veglia per la Vita", nonostante i tanti soldi ... Jan 23 13 Countering the Irish "Pro-Life" Rally - Pro-Choice Counter Demonstration ireland / britain |
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 Thursday July 07, 2011 20:50 by Cian Lynch - WSM
As is to be expected on such events, there was a strong religious element, with some marchers holding banners of the virgin mary and one man walking quietly and holding a crucifix to the counter demonstration like a talisman to ward off evil. Another notable character was a chap who had draped himself in the Israeli flag and who held up a cardboard sign to the pro-choice campaigners which read “nazi scum”! Two open topped buses had been requisitioned for the anti-abortion march and these incongrously blasted out tunes like House of Pain's “Jump Around”, a band known for “drinking prodigious amounts of beer, and swearing constantly.” - a strange choice indeed for a demonstration with such religious and moralistic overtones! The pro-choice demonstrators gathered at the spire in good humor with drummers and loudspeakers and several speakers addressed the crowd including Suzanne Lee and Leness Falls . Some of the more memorable chants from the pro-choice side were “Get your rosaries off our ovaries” and “pro-life, its a lie, you don't care if women die”. As the rally passed the counter demonstrators gathered on both sides of the road around the spire and the atmosphere was tense at times as Gardai moved several people along from the march who seemed eager for a physical confrontation. Some anti-abortion demonstrators infiltrated the pro-choice demo and began chanting “life, life” in opposition to the calls for “choice”. A speaker on the pro-choice demonstration called for restraint and to avoid being provoked to violence, which was much applauded. WORDS: Cian Lynch IMAGE: Andrew Flood Read more on the pro-choice struggle Photos to follow, preview of some in the WSM Facebook album
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Saturday in Dublin saw another desperate attempt by the anti-choice coalition to prevent legislation coming to the Dail (Irish parliament) to allow abortion where a women's life is under threat. Despite months of preparation, a spend that must have ran close to a million euro, and the parish priest at every mass in the country telling catholics they should attend, less that 15,000 turned up. Compared to the 150,000 women who have had to travel to obtain abortions in the last ecades this amounts to almost nothing, a handful of bigots bussed in from all over the country. [Italiano] This afternoon the government had finally confirmed that it is to legislate for abortion access under the conditions of the X-case. While we can welcome the failure of the anti-choice movement to stop this announcement, despite frantically spending a quarter of a million dollars euro in ten days, this is so little so late that it is almost meaningless. Last night saw hundreds of pro-choice activists blockade the gates of the Dáil after TD's once more refused to pass X-case legislation. Twenty years after the X-case and one month after the death of Savita Halappanavar women in Ireland were told once more that the politicians had not had enough time. The political parties, in particular the Labour Party, were once more engaged in a cynical game of playing politics - a game that leaves pregnant women at continued risk in Irish hospitals. The hopes of women living in Northen Ireland for the extension of the 1967 Abortion Act were dashed when an amendment to extend the act brought before Westminster on 22nd October was not debated because of a procedural motion put by Harriet Harman, leader of the House of Commons and the Minister for Women and supported by many New Labour ‘feminist’ MPs Advertised as a pregnancy counselling agency, it subjects women in crisis Report from a WSM member on a women's only day-school on sexual violence recently held in Ireland.
This action was inspired by national women's days in the States during the women's suffrage and trade union movement that had been organised by socialist women including the Irish American Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. The types of actions and demands on IWD have varied over the years, including a massive strike action that fuelled the Russian revolution in February 1917.
Despite spending in the region of a million euro and getting the backing of the catholic church its now clear that the anti-choice extremists of Youth Defence & the Pro Life Campaign were resoundingly defeated when the Dail finally voted though legislation implementing the X-Case judgment of 21 years ago. This time last year they were confident that they already had enough Fine Gael TD's on board to block the required legislation but they reckoned against the wave of public anger that followed the death of Savita Halappanavar after she was denied a potentially life saving abortion in a Galway hospital.
Photo from last years Dublin Pride
Last Thursday the European Court of Human Rights found that the Irish government had violated the rights of a woman living in Ireland who was forced to travel to Britain for an abortion. Abortion continues to be unavailable in Ireland and the court ruling was based on the failure of Irish governments to legislate for abortion under the 'X case' an infamous case from 1992 when a 14 year old rape victim X was prevented leaving the country to get an abortion in England. The WSM was centrally involved in the mobilizations that forced the courts to back down and allow X to travel and has continued to be involved in the pro-choice movement since that time. Below is the coverage we provided on Thursday on WSM.IE as the ABC result was revealed.
Last year, in Ireland, a pregnant woman carrying a foetus which could not survive was brought before the Irish courts. The state insisted that she carry it to term. That is what Ireland’s anti-abortion law meant for Miss “D”, a 17 year old in the care of the Health Services Executive. She was four months pregnant when her foetus was diagnosed with anencephaly. The outlook for individuals with this is extremely poor; stillbirth or death a few hours after birth. As the Choice Ireland group said at the time “No woman should have to endure the trauma of carrying to full term a child who will not live more than a few hours. By preventing “Miss D” from travelling to Britain for an abortion the Irish government are defining women as uterine incubators rather than individuals entitled to basic human rights”. This article examines how such of tragic state of affairs came to pass. It documents the struggle in Ireland for abortion rights, highlighting the role anarchists played in fighting for a womens right to choose.
There will be no change in the law on abortion. A Government spokesman said it had "no plans on the general issue of abortion" despite Bertie Ahern's promise before the last general election that the matter would be addressed. more >>
So what are exactly are we proud of? Is it just that we are attracted to a particular gender or genders? Or, are we proud of our courageous history of struggles as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered/ LGBT/ Queer people for our rights, and against bigotry, oppression and hatred? |
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WSM and other pro-choice activists took place in a counter demonstration to the “Rally for Life” which took place in Dublin on Sunday 3 July 2011. The anti-abortion rally was organised by Youth Defence (including “The Life Institute”(previously Mother & Campaign – an outgrowth of Youth Defense) and Belfast Based "Precious Life". Approximately 2,000 people seem to have attended. The pro-choice counter demonstration, organised at short notice was still attended by around 300 people. Many attending the anti-abortion rally came from all over Ireland and even included a small group of migrants from the Philippines. There were some tense exchanges between pro-choice campaigners and anti-abortion marchers.
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