Thousands protest in Canada to ban abortion

Thousands of people took part in an annual protest against abortion rights in the Canadian capital Ottawa. Protesters held placards with inscriptions “praying for the end of abortion” in front of Canada’s parliament on Thursday (local time). The young women in particular opposed him in a short protest. Among other things, they raised the slogans “Our body, our decision”.

The demonstration took place this year against the backdrop of the abortion debate in Canada’s neighboring US, which has been gaining momentum for several days. According to a draft ruling that recently went public, the Supreme Court could in the coming weeks overturn the historic “Roe v. Wade” decision that established a nationwide basic right to abortion in 1973.

Emily Helferty, a 23-year-old anti-abortion protester in Ottawa, told AFP that such a decision in the US could be a “tipping point” in favor of an abortion ban in Canada as well. She said: “It would be great. A lot of people have been praying for it for a long time.”

In Canada – as in the United States – the right to abortion is not expressly guaranteed by law. However, in 1988, a Supreme Court decision lifted the ban on abortion.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a news conference on Thursday that women around the world are “very concerned that the significant advances in women’s rights that they have made, which we have all made, are being reversed.” Canada’s Liberal government has committed itself to protecting abortion rights and possibly legislating them.

In the US, reversing the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade would mean that states would have a free hand to ban abortion or restrict access to abortion. With about half of the 50 states likely to go this route, “Roe v. Wade” should actually be reversed.

AFP