Pro-Life Catholics Praying Outside Abortion Facilities Faced Abuse
On the 2nd of April, young people and families were harassed by activists and feminists, while praying outside the Askabide abortion clinic in San Sebastian. They were praying the rosary on their knees, with a megaphone, under the motto "praying is not a crime" and carried a cross and an image of the Virgin. Tensions started to build up as protesters began harassing, censoring, and insulting the pro-life group. The police from Ertzaintza had to intervene in order to prevent attacks against the people praying.
The organizers of the "praying is not a crime" movement say that for them "it is about defending the faith: as Catholics, we have the obligation not to hand it over and if we accept this step and they take our faith from the streets, we do not know the world what we are going to leave our children. Our duty is to stand up. Faith is not something that should be left behind".
Furthermore, they believe that this insulting behaviour infringes on their "freedom of expression, opinion, assembly and the right to express one's beliefs, all of which is included in the Spanish Constitution".
This event took place only a few days before the Spanish Senate approved an alteration to the Penal Code, establishing that people who harass, intimidate, offend or resort to coercive acts that in any way undermine the freedom of women going to abortion clinics, will be punished with prison sentences from 3 months to 1 year, or community work. The amendment includes prayer outside abortion facilities.
Source and Picture: Hispanidad.com