- Opinion
- 28 Sep 17
The March For Choice will begin at the Garden of Remembrance and descend on Dail Eirean for the 6th time, to demand the right for Irish women to choose.
In a statement on the Abortion Rights Campaign's website, the activist group said: The 6th Annual March for Choice takes place on Saturday the 30th of September, assembling at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square from 1.30pm, before we march on Dáil Éireann at 2pm.
The theme of our March this year is Time to Act!
The Citizens’ Assembly report shows us the Irish people are pro-choice. We are ready for change.
The movement to repeal the 8th Amendment from the Irish constitution has gone from strength to strength. In March, Strike4Repeal saw thousands of people occupy O’Connell Bridge, and march on the Dail in the evening, with countless more on the streets in cities around Ireland and abroad, showing that the issue of abortion rights is not going away.
This year we have learned of young children sectioned under the Mental Health Act for seeking abortions, of suicidal women denied access to the abortion they’re entitled to under the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act because their doctor doesn’t think they’re “suicidal enough”
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Meanwhile in Northern Ireland women continue to be prosecuted for procuring their own abortions, even though the push to decriminalise abortion is growing in the rest of the UK.
We need full repeal of the 8th Amendment in the Republic of Ireland, and proper legislation in Northern Ireland. We need access to free, safe and legal abortion for all who need or want it. And we need it now.
We have waited too long. We have been patient for too long. We are tired of waiting.
We need to act. Our government needs to act. And YOU need to act!
Join us on September 30th to make your pro-choice voice heard, this is your last chance before a referendum is called.
The coalition to Repeal the 8th has also released a statement, saying: The Coalition to Repeal the Eighth Amendment has said it expects this weekend’s March for Choice to be the biggest yet.
Commenting today (28.09.17), the Coalition’s Convenor, Ailbhe Smyth, said the 100-plus member groups that comprise the Coalition will be “out in force” for Saturday’s march.
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“We welcome the Taoiseach’s announcement that a standalone referendum will be held next year, and we want to see this happening in May to ensure students and young people can fully exercise their right to vote,” she said.
“Saturday’s march will demonstrate the powerful groundswell of public opinion in favour of change. We expect this to be the biggest march yet. We also hope it will be the last annual March for Choice. The public appetite is there for Repeal, and we look forward to the referendum next year that will make that a reality.”
Ms. Smyth continued: “Since the passing of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act in 2013, people in Ireland have been mobilising to demand repeal of the Eighth Amendment. The social movement behind this demand is unprecedented. It has grown and grown over the past five years, and has not waned despite changes in government and other political developments.
“Over the same period, membership of the Coalition to Repeal the Eighth Amendment has also grown. We now have over 100 groups nationwide, representing upwards of 1.5 million people. Representatives from our member groups will be travelling from all corners of Ireland to participate in Saturday’s March for Choice.”
For people outside of Dublin city centre looking to attend the March, @freesafelegal. @repealeight and @rubberbandits have been providing information for transport on Twitter.
Thread about all the different busses travelling to the March on saturday https://t.co/a7jtSLVEWi
— Rubber Bandits (@Rubberbandits) September 28, 2017
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Join us on Sept 30th to make your pro-choice voice heard, It’s Time to Act! https://t.co/juFZljZtFa pic.twitter.com/T4evGJqxW2
— Abortion Rights IE (@freesafelegal) July 17, 2017