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LARGE CROWDS TURNED out today in Dublin for the March for Choice, organised by pro-choice groups.
The event was notable as it was the first pro-choice march to take place after the Eighth Amendment was officially removed from the Constitution.
Leaders of the Abortion Rights Campaign told the crowd: “This has never been a quiet revolution – do not get quiet now.”
In May of this year, the Irish people voted to remove the Eighth Amendment from the Constitution, paving the way for the legalisation of abortion. Legislation is set to be enacted to allow abortion up to 12 weeks, and also in specific circumstances up to 24 weeks or viability.
However, Abortion Rights Campaign said it held the event today to show supporters that although the Eighth Amendment has been repealed, it believes there is still a need for campaigning by pro-choice activists.
“We will continue to campaign for all girls, women and people who need abortion. Abortion on demand and without apology,” Abortion Rights Campaign co-convenor Denise O’Toole told the crowd. “Let’s continue to make 2018 the year of an unstoppable wave of people power. Real change must come from below.”
Present at today’s event were Health Minister Simon Harris, Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone, Senator Catherine Noone and Amnesty Ireland’s Colm O’Gorman, who all campaigned for a Yes vote in the referendum.
Social Democrats candidate Evie Nevin told the crowd that currently at least one person with a disability travels from Ireland for an abortion every week. Another speaker was Zanele Sibindi of the Masi group which supports people in Direct Provision.
In a blog post explaining the reasons behind the march, the Abortion Rights Campaign said:
Even though the referendum has finally been won (by a huge majority of 66.4%!) nothing practical has changed in Ireland. 10 people still travel for abortion care every day, while at least 3 more take pills at home that are safe but still illegal under our laws.
We’ve waited a very very long time for change, and now we’re still waiting for the government to pass legislation and introduce real abortion services.
It said this is why the theme of the seventh annual March for Choice is “Free, Safe, Legal”.
We’ve marched behind this slogan for years but now, more than ever, it’s vital we show our support for stigma-free abortion access for anyone who wants or needs one, regardless of their financial or legal status.
The group also said that it is also holding the event to “make a promise that we will continue to fight until abortion is available for all people on the island of Ireland, including our comrades and siblings in Northern Ireland, and those whose circumstances will not fall within the bounds set by the new law”.
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Any reason for an old’ gathering and piss up. Next week; insect lives matter. See you then
@Ross Fehily: idiots do what idiots do
@Michael Allen: noted snowflake
@Ross Fehily: What an ignorant comment to make
@The Truth: Only an insecure arsehole would call themselves “The Truth”
@Jennifer Mann: Hiding behind misguided words
@The Truth: Ha, snowflake! Classic! Come up with that yourself?
How anyone can celebrate the destruction of human life is beyond me ,,its not free the taxpayer will have to fund it ,its legal for now ,and nothing safe about it for the unborn child .what a circus .
@Anthony Gallagher: that is not at all what is being celebrated. Clearly you still don’t understand why a large majority of Irish people voted to repeal the 8th
@: Why should abortion be free? That wasn’t in the referendum.
@Denis McClean: Why should any medical procedure be free? Because of human decency and dignity, that’s why
@Larissa Nikolaus: free is a non existent concept. Someone always has to pay
@Denis McClean: If a woman wants to kill her own child, she should pay for it herself and not expect others to pay for her wicked, evil murderous deed.
‘Comrades’.
Wasn’t that a term used way back when by people of a certain political outlook?
Surely these warm fuzzy feminists aren’t cold-hearted communists underneath it all.
I’d be shocked if that was the case.
@Cheapy Ryan: If you’ve never read “The Communist Manifesto” by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, published in 1848, you should—especially right now.
“Abolition of the family!
@Patrick Oshea: Bear in mind, our current concept of “family” is about 2000-3000 years old, less so in Ireland. Modern humans, however, have been around for approximately 200,000 years. In other words, the current definition of family encompasses only 1% of humanity’s existence. Indeed, the Irish language has no word for family in the Judeo-Christian sense of the word.
Clann
@David Grey: Clann means children or offspring. It definitely does not mean family, or include parents for that matter.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: I’ll try muintir?
You won, fare and square. Now how about some grace for those that disagreed. This arrogance will be the downfall of the liberals.
@Tony Humphreys: Why?
@Tony Humphreys: Hard luck lads on wanting to deny bodily autonomy to half the population but I respect your continued desire to deny me equal rights. Fair play to those who wanted to keep slavery and deny women voting rights as well, wouldn’t want to be a bad winner to suggest there was a problem with any of those beliefs!
@Rochelle: slavery? You succeeded in sticking it to men (even though the majority of men voted yes). Abortion is needed but the cancer that is modern feminism doesn’t care about the unborn its all about me me me.
@Keith Murdiff: I’ve actually seen women crying watching the Rotunda show on RTÉ when an unborn is lost before birth. I’ve been at scans, one recently, where female doctors refer to the fetus as “your baby” (this is standard) … This is mindless hypocracy. That’s feminism for you
@Keith Murdiff: Don’t be speaking for me. I’d stand any day side by side with the women of my life until men stop thinking they can govern women’s lives, be that physically, psychologically or socially. And there’s nothing wrong with modern feminism. The only problem is when privileged men like yourself lose your privileges in favour of true equality and then cry about it. Get over yourself, grow up, and become a man who can respect himself and the women in his life, because right now you’re the definition of “me, me, me.”
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: I see no rebuttal to my points Brian but I’ll allow you gloss over.
Tell me this, what rights do I have that women don’t?
Who talks about the 8 years men die younger on average than women?
That discussion doesn’t happen because it doesn’t fit the narrative.
The main component of “toxic masculinity” is a hormone called testosterone which is the reason we have a life span op 10% less. Here’s the truth about your unmeasurable claim for male privilege. Talk to anybody with a terminal diagnosis and see how far they would go to get 1 more day, even hour to spend time with their loved ones. But that’s OK because we’re (men) all on the gravy train
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: I’m not speaking for myself Brian, expressing opinion in the interest or debate and diverges opinion. Debate and respect for views
@Rochelle: Slavery to your nature
@Keith Murdiff: You literally said, and I quote, “sticking it to men”. Now, either you meant some men, or all men. What I did was say your views don’t represent me, also a man. Secondly, the age men die at is completely irrelevant to the topic at hand. Thirdly, women have been dominated by men for millenia. We have a system – socially, economically and politically – created by men, for men and populated by men. We, only in the last few decades, have decided to allow women into that system. But, it is still a male system. Shoehorning women into it is still just saying “you are equal, as long as you play by male rules”. In other words, us males still have the upper hand, even if some men feel like female equality is somehow hurting them. It’s not. As I said before, get over yourself.
@Keith Murdiff: my last point was admittedly incoherent, my intention was not to speak for you. I’m not clear on how you came to that conclusion
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: nothing to do with my initial point pal, you haven’t sddresswd 1.
What rights do I have that women don’t? Name one and I’ll help you to make the change.
Live in the past If you want.
@Keith Murdiff: the statement “sticking it to men” wasn’t directed at you. The point wasn’t direct, it requires reading between the lines. Now, new wave feminism, as apposed to the hiroines of the first two (feminism waves) which didn’t employ the anger and vitriol you and the modern fems do is devicive. You can hit me with your rhetoric all you want and your keyboard tactics are impotent.
@Keith Murdiff: now stop whinging there’s nothing worse than a male feminist
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: you’re talking about equality pal, I’m pointing out the nuances of gender. I’d you want tremue equality, as I do. You need to consider all ills (hence the reference to life expectancy) this is the tragic irony of feminism, they take a buffet view on equality.
Big Jobs, I’ll take that
Power in government, take that
Dangerous jobs, nah
Bin collection, nah..
Board of directors (yep)
Construction in winter.. Nope
@Keith Murdiff: buffet equality.
How many women have died in comparison to women on the job in the least year, (multiply it out over decades)
How many women are homeless in the street in comparison to men (have a look on any trip to work)
Who gets automatic rights to children ina divorces court
Who gets more lenient sentences in court.
Equality mu bum pal
@Keith Murdiff: Yeah, you’re still referencing a society built by men, for men, and I sincerely doubt you have the brain capacity to think beyond that, so there’s not much point in talking any more. I also did address your original question, but that, too, seems to have flown so far above your head that you’re obviously living on quite a different planet.
@Tony Humphreys: lol so many whinging men here. “bawww women won’t live the way I want them to! Bawww”
Poor things, losing control. Must be hard x
@Keith Murdiff: women have never had it so good, I feel sorry for men, they’re often treated worse than dogs. If these aggressive feminists don’t change their tune, then their daughter’s won’t be able to find a man to marry them, the men will look for more traditional, family oriented women, not these rabid mutts.
Congrats ireland 700000 people on hse waiting list and now abortion will be offered for free… at least the next generation will have less people on any lists to worry about
But science, of course, has established that the unborn—though physically dependent on and inside of the mother—is a distinct, self-developing individual with his or her own DNA, brain, arms and legs, etc. Abortion attacks and kills the body of someone else.
@Patrick Oshea: it’s all over,lad..
@Francis Mc Carthy: It is all over for every baby that is killed.
@Francis Mc Carthy: savage response Francis.
@Keith Murdiff: thanks,that means a lot to me
@Patrick ; i’ll get my mother to pop into our local church tomorrow, & get her to light a few candles for all of those ‘babies’ that are killed..
getting very emotional…
@Patrick Oshea: I got called a murderer twice today, change the record!
The vote has been passed but under no circumstances should abortion services be funded by the taxpayer or free as some call it.
Brilliant! Fair play to all involved!!
Next up, the six counties. The noting that availability on this island depends on which side of an invisible border you are on is completely unacceptable.
@The Risen: i see your muppet stalker is back with a brand new twitter account
@The Risen: I thought you were against foreign interference in other countries abortion issues?
@The Risen: Let the Brits keep their counties. We have a fine country. Who would want that basket case up north?
Certainly not free. Certainly not safe. Certainly legal as the penal laws were in slavery. Costly to the taxpayers. Unsafe for murdered baby. The laws of humanity are broken.
@Patrick Oshea: No baby being murdered, despite your inflammatory rhetoric.
@The Risen: Trust science
People will look back at abortion the same way we look at slavery now. A disgusting practice that has no place in a civilized society.
Free, Free, Free…it would be some country to try to sustain these Free- wheelers in their Free- doom- ed agendas..
Personally I think this entire subject and the change to the law is s complete disgrace, those who voted yes should hang their heads in shame…
@Thomas Rowe: why, when we are not ashamed? And there’s 64% of us who are unashamed to give or women bodily autonomy.
@Joey Navinski: Call the baby whatever you want to call him — fetus, clump of cells, zygote — but you cannot call him your body. Whatever he is, he certainly is an entirely separate and distinct entity. His body is the body at issue here.
@Patrick Oshea: Nope! The body that is at issue here,is the woman’s body.She is protecting herself from the dangers that that other ‘body’ can and does cause her…by the way,have you ever thought of getting a womb implanted into your body ?
@Francis Mc Carthy: what dangers Francis?
Vote No.
@Paul Whitehead: im voting no
@Paul Whitehead: so am i
Both sides are really embracing “humble in victory gracious in defeat” mantra…nice way to alienate each other forever
@Fergus Sheahan:
Totally incompatible positions on the dignity of human life eternally.
@Fergus Sheahan: the loud minority of pro-birthers who want to control women’s bodies can f off. Idc if I’m alienated from them, most of the country isn’t like them, thankfully.
Human Life at its new and most vunerable and we want to just demolish it like it never existed. They call this moving with the times apparently.
If you’ve never read “The Communist Manifesto” by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, published in 1848, you should—especially right now.
To be sure, reading this awful screed against human nature can be confusing, let alone unsatisfying and thoroughly unedifying. What do the authors mean, for example, when they screech: “Abolition of the family! Even the most radical flare up at this infamous proposal of the Communists”?
They are following the blueprint of the communist manifesto.
So rubbing pro life faces in it, is that not called bad winners? Something to show the pro choicers as???
Attending the march today just gave me a real feel of the change that’s sweeping through this country. So much power behind the speeches and chants. I feel lucky to have attended it. This generation of women who won’t allow the treatment of the past any longer are heroes.
@Keith O’Reilly: How does the lost generation feel, is the question as the right to life and human rights are taken away from them under the surgical procedure of murder?
@TamuMassif2019: Calling us murderers is boring, think of a new one please.
@Keith O’Reilly: Can’t find a word for a gathering of deluded self-genocidal persons.
@Keith O’Reilly: Change is sweeping the country alright – in the guise of the neoliberal assault. Democracy is being eroded as the banks, corporations, and military take more control of people’s lives. The gap between rich and poor is growing and the EU is becoming increasingly militarised. Precious little consolation having abortion legal when you can barely afford rent or a mortgage.
@Corb John: Don’t forget that you lot are supposed to ‘love boats’…
@Keith O’Reilly: Arent you great! Will you attend next ” choice” gig too? I’m impressed!
@Keith O’Reilly: Did you also come out to condemn the people who tried to cover up the smear test scandal??
The March was not to stick it to no voters or to celebrate abortion. It was to celebrate the result of years of hard work on the campaign and the successful Repeal and the March was also for putting pressure that we get the legislation and services that were promised. A changed constitution alone is useless as long as the criminal law PLDPA 2013 and relevant section of the Offenses against the Person Act 1861 are still in force. If a doctor performed an abortion on a desperate woman who cannot get to England tomorrow the doctor and the woman could still go to prison for up to 14 years. Though because of the changed constitution legal challenges similar to what happened in the US and Canada decades ago could theoretically happen. This is not a good way though and depends on interpretation. The Dail legislating as is their job is what needs to happen quick
@Janina Schmae:
Abortion is a horrible experience for any woman and certainly nothing to celebrate. A little more dignity would not go astray. Many who voted Yes did so for compassionate reasons mainly for situations like FFA , Rape /Incest victims . Many were uncomfortable with the decision to allow abortion for any reason in the first 12 weeks but voted Yes in solidarity for the small number of hard cases mainly.
It is now emerging gradually that the estimated number of abortions will be 10,000 per year at a projected cost of 50 Million Euro to the taxpayer.
The majority of the people who voted Yes are not out marching , they are getting on with their lives , they voted according to their conscience in good faith .
@Aine O Connor: Every woman’s story is different & ,If she celebrates not being pregnant anymore,then that is her business..
These pro choice, pro abortionists wont be happy until a woman can murder her baby for whatever reason, right up to the moment of birth. Talk about a blood thirsty lot.
@Paula Middleton: oh! and then the pro euthanasia crowd will raise their ugly heads.
Very few women would think that having an abortion would be something to celebrate. A more apt description would be relief with the hope that they would not have to endure the experience ever again..
Mmmh delicious tears from the pro-birthers, so yummy. Sorry you can’t try to control women’s lives anymore.
Can’t believe people are still crying over losing still. Get over it like. To me you look like the snowflakes you like to call others. It’s not your life. Why not Foster or help the homeless if you’re so worried about life. Oh wait, you only care about what the pregnant woman does, once the baby is born youse don’t care.
@Rei: wow
uh the tax payer usually would of had to pay out social to a lot of mothers who would have otherwise gotten abortions so free abortions is cheaper?
have your say