Ireland: Anti-abortion rally held in Dublin March 10 /update 1

Event

Media sources reported that at least 10,000 people participated in an anti-abortion rally in Dublin on Saturday, March 10. Participants marched throughout the city to gather at Merrion Square outside the Leinster House. Additional demonstrations will likely take place in the coming months as the country prepares to vote on whether or not to repeal the eight amendment to Ireland’s constitution in late May or early June.

Abortion continues to be a divisive issue in the Catholic-majority country and both pro-choice and pro-life supporters are set to carry out lengthy and active campaigns ahead of the referendum. 

Context

The Irish Constitution provides equal rights to a pregnant woman and an unborn child and abortions are illegal in the vast majority of cases, with exceptions typically only granted if the life of the mother is in danger (since 2013). Women who have had unsanctioned abortions face up to 14 years of imprisonment.

Ireland has recently faced international pressure, notably from the UN and the Council of Europe, to decriminalize abortion. According to the British Department of Health, some 3000 Irish women traveled to England in 2016 to have the procedure, although activists estimate numbers to be much higher.

Advice

Individuals in Ireland are advised to avoid all major demonstrations a precaution.