Thousands march for life across Spain

Madrid, Spain, Mar 31, 2009 / 12:50 pm

Thousands of Spaniards gathered this week in Madrid for the "March for Life," which had as its theme, "There is no right to kill, there is only the right to live." The march was held in opposition to a plan to liberalize the country’s laws on abortion. Eighty seven simultaneous marches also took place in cities across Spain.

Speakers at the march in Madrid included Paloma de Cendra, member of the Right to Life Committee of Experts, and an expert on post-abortion stress syndrome; Ignacio Arsuaga, president of the watchdog website Hazteoir.org; and Dr. Gador Joya, national spokesman for Right to Life. Dr. Joya read the Manifesto for Life at the event.

Cendra, who for years has been helping women who have aborted, said she has yet to find a "single one who wanted to do it." They did it, she said, out of "fear, loneliness, abandonment, pressure, discrimination, and even threats." "Is this the free choice that some proclaim?" she asked.

"It is not true that this law is defending the rights of women. It is not true that this law will be best for them. Abortion goes against women. It is not a solution to a problem. It is the real problem. It does not make their lives easy. It makes their lives a Calvary," Cedra said. "You cannot solve an unwanted pregnancy with a solution that is even more unwanted," she added. "Let’s support pregnant women, let’s defend life," she said.

Ignacio Arsuaga of Hazteoir.org said the government’s proposed law is "profoundly anti-social because it is scornful of those who are weakest—the child—and the mother, who is left alone." He called on the government to withdraw its proposal for abortion on demand. "Yes, listen, Zapatero. This is only the beginning. We are going to stop the pro-death roller of the government. We are going to win the battle for life. This movement is now unstoppable," he said.