2,000 people march in Madrid against abortion

MADRID - Agence France Press

Thousands gather in the 3rd 'March for Life' in Madrid under the motto 'For the right to live, abortion zero' demanding the Government repeal the current abortion law and abolish it. EPA photo

Around 2,000 people marched in Madrid on Sunday to demand a total ban on abortion, at a time when the conservative government is preparing to tighten existing abortion laws.

 Demonstrators of all ages, including grandparents and families with babies, turned up to the "march for life", chanting and carrying red flags with the slogans "zero abortion" and "the right to life". "We don't see any reason that could justify eliminating a human being, that's why we're calling for zero abortion," said Gador Joya, spokeswoman of the "Right to Life" collective that was among the organisers of the march.

"We believe that by banning abortion in cases of malformation and reducing risks to the psychological health of the mother, we would be much closer to that end," she added. The current law voted in by the previous Socialist government in 2010 gives women the legal right to abortion on demand for up to 14 weeks of pregnancy, or up to the 22nd week in cases where the mother's health is at risk or the foetus shows serious deformities.

In cases of extreme malformation of a foetus, an abortion can be carried out at any time if approved by an ethics committee.

The government announced in July that it planned to tighten abortion laws, with Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon saying the legislation should be changed to ban abortion in cases of a deformed foetus.