Over 150,000 march for life in Spain

Pro-life march in Spain draws over 150,000 participants

by Rebecca Millette

HazteOir.org

MADRID, Spain, March 28, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – An estimated 150,000-plus pro-lifers gathered to celebrate life and protest a new abortion law in Madrid on Sunday.  Hundreds of others marched in over 80 Spanish cities, including Barcelona, Oviedo, Zaragoza and Las Palmas, and internationally on March 25 as part of recognition for the International Day of the Unborn Child.

From little children to teens to grandparents, families walked in the streets in support of a Spanish “manifesto” that calls abortion “a terrible hypocrisy against women” and a “terrible injustice to the children.”  Participants were asked to sign the petition demanding that Spanish laws protect life “at all times and circumstances” and seek to offer true aid to women with unplanned pregnancies.

“Today we are together for a just cause: the defense of human life,” said Dr. Gador Joya, spokesperson for Derecho a Vivre (Right to Live).  “We are here to return to the dignity of the individual at the heart of democracy. We are here, once again, because we do not accept that the life of the most vulnerable is the subject of political experiments.”

Last year in Spain a law went into effect that allows abortion on demand during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy and up until 22 weeks gestation in cases of rape, fetal abnormality, and when the mother’s health is at risk.  The law also permits abortion at anytime until birth when the unborn child has a serious or incurable illness, as determined by a medical committee.

“Laws are adopted,” continued Dr. Joya, “and the unjust laws will be repealed. The Spanish Constitution states that everyone has the right to life … We will never accept abortion as an unavoidable fact in a civilized society.”

HazteOir.org

Pro-life marchers protested the law, chanting slogans such as “Yes to life”, “No to abortion”, and “Let me live.”  After speeches, a banner was raised more than 60 meters in the air by 120 colored balloons.  The banner read: “Everyone has the right to life.”

Ignacio Arsuaga, president of HazteOir, an organization that seeks political change through the voice of the people, applauded the participation of the many young people in the march.  “It is wonderful to see how our young people realize and commit to life,” he said.

In a testimony, Dr. Blanca Lopez Ibor, a medical oncologist and pediatrician, explained the beginnings of human life and the physical, psychological and spiritual consequences of abortion on mothers.  She challenged other physicians to speak up for the unborn.

“We have the power of our vote,” said Dr. Joya, ”the scientific, legal and moral right on our side.”