Prague, April 7 (CTK) – Several thousand people took part in a procession with Czech flags, big white crosses and banners that protested against abortions in the centre of Prague and called for more support for marriage and families with more children on Saturday.
In the central Wenceslas Square, the participants in the protest were addressed by Prague Archbishop Dominik Duka, Olomouc Archbishop Jan Graubner, Christian Democrat (KDU-CSL) chairman Pavel Belobradek and former diplomat and minister Alexandr Vondra (right-wing Civic Democrats, ODS).
Vondra said family and society in general, which are based on the roots and values of Judaism and Christianity, are getting under pressure from both the outside and inside. He mentioned economic migrants and Islamic fanatics as well a multiculturalism in this context.
He said Russian President Vladimir Putin presented himself as a guardian of traditional values but he was only after power and his empire.
Zdenka Rybova, from the organising Pro-Life Movement (Hnuti pro zivot), said it is not only young girls who are unhappy about getting pregnant who apply for abortion but also mothers of two children. These mothers are responsible for one third of all the abortions in the country and not all of them do it because they feel they cannot financially afford another child.
Rybova said many such women were forced by their partners to have an abortion.
The 18th National March for Life and Family on Saturday called on men to support their wives and partners in such difficult decision making.
The number of abortions has been decreasing in the country for many years. Last year, 19,389 abortions were registered according to preliminary data, which has been the lowest number since 1958 when the abortion was introduced in the country, according to the Pro-Life Movement.
A group of activists calmly protested against the pro-life procession at Wenceslas Square with a banner saying “Jesus gave freedom to us, don’t take it away from women.” They said the pro-life movement presents itself as an advocate of women in a difficult situation but one of its goals is to ban abortion as such.
