Press Release: Stand Up for Choice: Pro-Choice Demonstration in London Challenges Anti-Abortion Extremism

22 August 2024

STARTS

Abortion has become a central issue in this year’s presidential election in the US, after the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022. Britain’s national Abortion Rights campaign has called a protest in London to defend reproductive rights and call for abortion to be taken out of criminal law here.

The protest is in response to the annual rally of an assortment of anti-abortion organisations under the banner of ‘March for Life’. The anti-abortion march’s slogan is ‘abortion is not healthcare’, in a direct challenge to the views of the majority of the public, and medical organisations in Britain. Polls show that 74% support changing the law to enshrine a legal right to abortion.

Abortion Rights chair Kerry Abel said:

“We have called our Stand up for Choice protest to represent the majority who support the right to access safe and legal abortion. We are calling on everyone who wants to ensure that the clocks don’t go back on our rights here in the way that they have in the US to join us on 7 September in London’s Parliament Square.”

The unprecedented rise in women being investigated and prosecuted since 2018 for allegedly illegally ending their own pregnancy has exposed Britain’s archaic laws that criminalise abortion.

Speakers at the pro-choice protest will include trade union representatives, doctors and other activists showing the breadth of opposition to the Trump-style politics of the ‘March for Life’  that aim for a ban on all abortions declaring “from conception, no exception’.

Pro-choice campaigners will take up the call for an end to investigations of women based on 19^th century legislation and for abortion to be taken out of criminal law and to be treated as part of reproductive healthcare.

During the last parliament, pro-choice MPs made multiple efforts to propose amendments aimed at changing the law. A revealing poll underscores the significance of legal and safe abortion to voters: 67% of respondents identified criminalising abortion as the top policy issue that would deter them from voting for a party.

Event Details:

Date: September 7th Time: 2:00 PM Location: Parliament Square Hashtag: #StandUpForChoice

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NOTES TO EDITOR

For more information about the protest and to get involved, please contact Kerry Abel

Abortion Rights invites everyone who values reproductive rights, choice, and autonomy to join us in this peaceful demonstration. Let your voice be heard and your presence felt as we unite to counter the anti-abortion lobby, affirm Abortion *IS* Healthcare and call for the decriminalisation of abortion.

About Abortion Rights: Abortion Rights is the only grassroots pro-choice campaign in Britain working for safe, free, legal and accessible abortion. Read more here