Thousands participate in anti-abortion rally through Dublin

Thousands of people have taken part in an anti-abortion demonstration in the centre of Dublin.

A smaller number held a pro-choice counter-demonstration in O’Connell Street on Saturday afternoon. The annual Rally for Life march started at Parnell Square and marched to the Custom House.

Those taking part held up placards saying “Abortion kills our future” and featured banners from many different parts of Ireland. The group is demanding the Government introduce measures such as extending the three-day waiting period to get an abortion and a Bill that restricts abortion to within six weeks of pregnancy.

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There was a gardai presence as the parade passed a group of about 70 demonstrators taking part in the United for Choice counter-rally. Organiser Emma Hendrick said: “After years of hard work we won a massive victory in the repeal referendum but we can’t just take it for granted.”

“Across the globe women’s rights and LGBTQI+ rights are under attack.” The rallies took place amid an ongoing political row over stalled recommendations of an independent review of Ireland’s abortion laws.

Barrister Marie O’Shea was commissioned by the Department of Health in 2022 to conduct a review of the legislation that was introduced after the country voted to liberalise the abortion regime in the landmark Eighth Amendment referendum of 2018.

In her 2023 review report, Ms O’Shea made a series of recommendations. However, more than a year on, many of the most significant proposals are yet to be implemented.

Among the recommendations proposed by the barrister is the removal of a mandatory three-day waiting period between a woman’s initial medical consultation and her being given access to abortion treatment or medication.

The review also recommends that the threat of criminal sanction is removed for medics found to have acted outside the provisions of the abortion legislation, and that the HSE is given the ability to ensure the provision of services is not disrupted due to issues around conscientious objections by healthcare staff.

Ms O’Shea also urged a review of the legislative definition related to abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.

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