Quebec city - Pro-choice outmobilizes chain for life

north america / mexico | gender | news report Tuesday October 09, 2007 02:40 by NP - NEFAC

Pro-choice demonstrators outnumber christian fundamentalist five to one in demonstration

When NEFAC members learned that a bunch of christian fundamentalists where mobilising for a so-called “chain for life” in Quebec city, the decided to do something about it. They called their friends and comrades at the Ainsi squattent-elles! anarcha-feminist radio program and issued a joint call for a pro-choice counter demonstration. In less then a week, the anarchists where able to mobilise close to one hundred people, that’s five times more then the anti-abortion group!

The pro-choice crowd was an happy mix of comrades we’ve met in struggle over time. Young activists, people from community and women groups as well as a few trade-unionists. There where punks, hippies, students, kids and folks from all generations. In addition to anarchists, there was a good delegation from Quebec Solidaire (an electoralist left-wing party), the only non-anarchist political organisation that supported the counter-demonstration.

The collectives that organised the counter-demonstration largely met their objectives. We’ve confronted the integrists and ruined their media message. We’ve shown to the world that there is an opposition to their reactionary message. It was impossible to talk about them without talking about us.

Of course, it’s a double edged sword. It is clear, for example, that without our presence, some media would not have been there. But, at a time where the reactionaries are on the offensive and occupy the media space with their debate about 'reasonable accommodation', it is not a bad idea that a street opposition make itself known, even if it give them a lot more press coverage.

This demonstration proves once again that an anarchist initiative can have an echo way larger then our political family. As long as we show some political leadership, we can get a part of the social and political left to move.

Our photo report: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10060289@N05/sets/72157602307234212/