On Saturday I attended a rally in Cork to greet the Abortion pill bus.
It was my first time to attend an event like this, I was going on my own and I was a little anxious about it. When I arrived there was a very small group gathered, there was a table with organisers behind it, asking for people to sign a petition to send to the government. I went up, I signed and made my donation and I stood to the side, beside a man, woman and their teenage daughter. We started chatting. mostly about the ridiculousness of the Pro Life counter rally that was going on across from us. There was a larger group on the Pro Life side at that point. As it got closer to the arrival of the bus more and more people had come, signed the petition and gathered with our group, I was feeling encouraged and glad that I came. We were all joining in with the chants.
Keep your rosaries of our ovaries.
Separate the church from state, women must decide their fate.
Our bodies, our choice.
Are a few that I can remember.
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| The abortion bus supporters |
The bus arrived and we needed to move the table closer to the bus, at the same time as the pro life group were trying to storm the bus and get ahead of us. we made it and our group made a semi circle around the bus. We held Repeal the 8th posters, trying to block out the pro life posters that people were shoving over our heads. It was hard to keep my cool, but I did, moving my poster and myself as necessary to block these people from our demonstration, I could see lots of people with expressions of annoyance,
The speakers started, they were incredible, inspirational and well spoken despite the boos and the heckles from the Pro Lifers, or the Pro Liars as I had cleverly heard them being referred to.
The difference between the two groups was very apparent, the Pro Life group was majority male and middle aged/older, there were a few women, and only a couple of young people from what I could see. We, on the other hand were a complete mix, mostly women but there were plenty of men present too and a good array of ages. A young woman of 16 got up and spoke about why she thought abortion should be available to women in this country. If a 16 year old school goer could make sense of this issue and see the need, then why couldn't the anti protesters?
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| A handful of the Pro Life protesters |
Throughout the rally, the Pro Life protesters shouted at us ''abortion is murder''. I was quite taken aback by their behaviour throughout the rally, of course I expected them to be hostile, but I guess I didn't expect the physical way they got in our faces and the way the shouted down at ordinary women trying to make speeches and share their stories of rape and survival. the way they intimidated, so women who needed to, felt they could not get on the bus. I guess I was naive, to think they would simply stand there and hold their posters, after all it was my first rally. I will be prepared next time. Because I will not be put off, there will be a next time. This is a cause I firmly believe in, because all women deserve complete control over their own bodies, no matter what.
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| Me, holding up my poster, grumpy expression due to the pro Lifer shouting behind me |
Women in Ireland are accessing abortions ever single day, whether people want to believe it or not, it is happening. 12 women a day travel to the UK for abortions. But what about those women who cant travel to the UK, for whatever reason and are forced to access possible unsafe, illegal abortions in Ireland.
This is where ROSA - Reproductive rights, againts Oppression, Sexisn & Austerity, comes in. ROSA organised the abortion pill bus, they have travelled around Ireland promoting an online service called Women On Web, which helps women from many countries access safe abortion pills. There was a private room on the bus and women that needed to were invited to go on the bus and have a consult, via skype with a doctor from women on web. Women go through a very detailed medical assessment and if they are deemed suitable to take the pill, they are sent the pill via postal services. Despite what people (from the Pro Life side) are saying the pill is safe.
So, I have written this post to share my experience of the event and also the knowledge that I gained from it. If you or anyone you know needs more information please contact Women On Web or ROSA.
*photos taken from the ROSA Facebook page.
