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Minsk government bans anti-abortion march

 

The Minsk City Executive Committee has rejected an application for permission to stage a demonstration against abortion at the center of the city on September 21.

In an interview with BelaPAN, organizer Veranika Syardzyuk said that the city government had not yet provided a written reply to the application explaining reasons for its decision. "We didn't expect our protest to be banned considering that it has no political overtones," she said.

Up to 1,500 people were expected to take part in what was described as Belarus' first-ever march against abortion.

The event, which was expected to attract representatives of pro-life groups from across Belarus, was to be kicked off by liturgies at the city's main Orthodox and Catholic churches. Afterward the demonstrators were to walk in procession from the City Hall to the Minsk Hero City monument along Peramozhtsaw Avenue.

According to Ms. Syardzyuk, the march was aimed at urging the government to impose more restrictions on abortions.

The country's reported abortion rate fell from 34 per 1000 fertile women in 2002 to 10.3 at present.

According to catholic.by, the official website of the Roman Catholic Church in Belarus, a pro-life mass will take place at the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral in Liberty Square on September 21 despite the ban on the demonstration. The liturgy will be conducted by Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, archbishop of the Minsk-Mahilyow Archdiocese. // BelaPAN