Tens of thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators took to the streets of the capital on Saturday, calling for a rolling back of existing legislation in Argentina and gathering under the slogan: "March for life."
"We are for both lives, we are against misoprostol [a medicine used to induce an abortion] and against the judicial protocols that allow the interruption of pregnancies in some cases," the leader of the movement, Catholic activist Alejandro Geyer, told a press conference, detailing opposition to the legal routes through which an abortion can be carried out in the country.
The crowd was dominated by light blue, the colour of the handkerchiefs and headscarves used to identify the anti-abortion movement, which is dominated by religious groups. A large national flag was also displayed, as were a number of homemade signs and posters, with phrases such as "Let's not kill the future" and "Save the two lives."
Many also carried signs saying they would not vote for politicians who identify with the pro-choice movement, a reference to the upcoming presidential election on October 27, when half the Chamber of Deputies and one-third of senators are also up for re-election.
"They have to understand that this is non-negotiable: no to abortion!" yelled Mercedes Noguer, a 50-year-old teacher who had taken to the streets.
Abortion in Argentina is currently only allowed when the life of the pregnant woman is in danger or in the case of rape, according to a law that has been in force since 1921.
Another 60 satellite marches were organised in cities across the country, according to the event's organisers.
- TIMES/AFP
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