People's Democracy
IT IS JUST over eight years since the anti-abortion amendment to the Free State constitution was passed. Those eight years have witnessed a continuous and escalating series of attacks on reproductive ights first the pregnancy counsel! ing and abortion referral services of two Dublin women's clinies were closed down through rulings in favour of SPUC, theanti-abortion "Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child'. Then British magazines such as Cosmopolitan had their Irish editions censored after advertising abortion clinics.
In the last few months books such as Everywoman and Our Bodies Ourselves were removed from libraries. Now a 14 year victim has been injuncted by the courts from procuring an abortion in Iritain This has provoked a major political crisis for the Irish government, and a number of militant protests organised by feminists and student activists. LIFE, an offshoot of SPUC, have offered to care for the 14 yearold until she bears the child.
Fanatics
But their cynicism has alienated supporters. They are now widely viewed as bigots and fanatics", as Ireland's leading broadcaster Gay Byrne put The case presents the government with a major political problem, and they are aware of Feb. 29, 1992 No. 17 ON DEMAND MORTION TO CHOOSE RIGHT THEIR FATE