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Protest at European Parliament to demand abortion legislation in Ireland
Today, up to 30 MEPs from four political groups and many different countries held a protest in front of the European Parliament to demand abortion legislation in Ireland. The protest is one of many which will be taking place around the world today, along with one at the Dail at 6pm.
Speaking after the protest Paul Murphy MEP commented:
“This protest in front of the Parliament is but one of tens of protests happening around the world today. MEPs have added their voice, with this protest and the protest letter, to that of tens of thousands of Irish people demanding immediate action now to introduce abortion legislation in Ireland. Protests at embassies in New York, Seoul, Hong Kong, London, Brussels and many others will take place tonight, together with a demonstration at the Dail at 6pm.”
“The government should heed this call and stop prevaricating. Legislation is needed now to go as far as is possible under the terms of the eighth amendment and the X case. This should be a step towards the establishment of the right to access abortion through the public health service for all women who require it. An independent and public inquiry should be commenced immediately to investigate the circumstances of Savita’s death.”
Since the news broke of Savita’s death, protests have already been held across Ireland, with 20,000 people demonstrating in Dublin last Saturday. This must be the beginning of a broad campaign which will mobilise on the streets to force the government to introduce abortion legislation in Ireland.
Photos from protest in European Parliament:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guengl/sets/72157632066154706/
Letter to Taoiseach from MEPs Calling for abortion legislation
Socialist Party/ United Left Alliance MEP Paul Murphy, along with Mikael Gustafsson, chair of the women’s Rights and Equality committee, initiated a letter calling for abortion legislation to be introduced in Ireland. The letter was signed by 53 MEPs and sent to the office of the Taoiseach.
The letter in full can be read below along with a list MEPs who signed the letter:
An Taoiseach Mr Enda Kenny TD
Department of An Taoiseach
Government Buildings
Upper Merrion Street
Dublin 2
18 November 2012
Re: Case of Savita Halappanavar
Dear Taoiseach,
We were shocked to hear of the tragic death of Savita Halappanavar following the decision by consultants at Galway University Hospital in Ireland not to proceed with the termination of an unviable foetus. She developed septicaemia from E Coli after she was refused a timely termination of an unviable miscarrying 17 week-old foetus. She was denied a termination because there remained a foetal heart beat and according to her husband she was told that we “live in a Catholic country.” We express our deep sympathy to her family and friends.
This tragedy highlights the need for immediate action to introduce legislation for abortion in Ireland. Despite the ruling of the Supreme Court in Ireland in the ‘X case’ that abortion should be permitted in cases where the mother’s life is in danger, successive governments have failed to legislate for this. In the A, B and C v Ireland case, the European Court of Human Rights found that Ireland had violated the European Convention on Human Rights by failing to provide an accessible and effective procedure by which a woman can have established whether she qualifies for a legal abortion under current Irish law.
In order to give support and legal clarity for health care professionals we call on the Irish authority responsible for the health service, the Health Service Executive (HSE), to immediately issue a directive allowing for immediate terminations of unviable foetuses to save women from severe pain and protect their health and life.
Ms. Halappanavar is now the victim of this inaction. We feel that the Irish government should immediately bring forth legislation to permit abortion in cases where the mother’s life or health is endangered as a first step towards the establishment of women’s right to choose in Ireland.
Yours faithfully,
Paul Murphy MEP (GUE/NGL, Ireland)
Mikael Gustafsson MEP, Chair of the women’s Rights and Equality committee (GUE/NGL, Sweden)
Sonia Alfano MEP (ALDE, Italy)
Eric Andrieu MEP (S&D, France)
Catherine Bearder MEP (ALDE, UK)
Franziska Brantner MEP (Green/EFA, Germany)
Michael Cashman MEP (S&D, UK)
Nikolaos Chountis MEP (GUE/NGL, Greece)
Minodora Cliveti MEP (S&D, Romania)
Leonidas Donskis MEP (ALDE, Lithuania)
Cornelia Ernst MEP (GUE/NGL, Germany)
João Ferreira MEP (GUE/NGL, Portugal)
Sylvie Guillaume MEP (S&D, France)
Anna Hedh MEP (S&D, Sweden)
Jacky Hénin MEP (GUE/NGL, France)
Mary Honeyball MEP (S&D, UK)
Nicole Kiil-Nielsen MEP (Green/EFA, France)
Jürgen Klute MEP (GUE/NGL, Germany)
Jean Lambert MEP (Green/EFA, UK)
Patrick Le Hyaric MEP (GUE/NGL, France)
Kartika Tamara Liotard MEP (GUE/NGL, Netherlands)
Sabine Lösing MEP (GUE/NGL, Germany)
Sarah Ludford MEP (ALDE, UK)
David Martin MEP (S&D, UK)
Marisa Matias MEP (GUE/NGL, Portugal)
Linda McAvan MEP (S&D, UK)
Arlene McCarthy MEP (S&D, UK)
Jean-Luc Mélenchon MEP (GUE/NGL, France)
Willy Meyer MEP (GUE/NGL, Spain)
Ana Miranda MEP (Green/EFA, Spain)
Claude Moraes MEP (S&D, UK)
Antigoni Papadopoulou MEP (S&D, Cyprus)
Niccolò Rinaldi MEP (ALDE, Italy)
Raül Romeva i Rueda MEP (Green/EFA, Spain)
Helmut Scholz MEP (GUE/NGL, Germany)
Brian Simpson MEP (S&D, UK)
Alda Sousa MEP (GUE/NGL, Portugal)
Bart Staes MEP (Green/EFA, Belgium)
Catherine Stihler MEP (S&D, UK)
Claudiu Ciprian Tanasescu MEP (S&D, Romania)
Marc Tarabella MEP (S&D, Belgium)
Keith Taylor MEP (Green/EFA, UK)
Rebecca Taylor MEP (ALDE, UK)
Isabelle Thomas MEP (S&D, France)
Britta Thomsen MEP (S&D, Denmark)
Catherine Trautmann MEP (S&D, France)
Kyriacos Triantaphyllides MEP (GUE/NGL, Cyprus)
Derek Vaughan MEP (S&D, UK)
Marie-Christine Vergiat MEP (GUE/NGL, France)
Cecilia Wikström MEP (ALDE, Sweden)
Sabine Wils MEP (GUE/NGL, Germany)
Gabi Zimmer MEP (GUE/NGL, Germany)
Inês Zuber MEP (GUE/NGL, Portugal)
Passing of CAA Protocol with Israel Exposes E.U Crocodile Tears
The CAA Protocol with Israel was passed today by 379 votes to 240 votes with 4 MEPs abstaining. This clearly exposes how the E.U speaks out of both sides of its mouth in regards to the oppression of Palestinians. Shamefully the Irish government played a disgraceful role pushing for a Yes vote.
The passing of this Protocol is yet another stain on the EU’s supposed commitment to human rights. A green light has been given by a majority in this Parliament for the Israeli state to continue to engage in its illegal blockade of Gaza and its demolition of Palestinian homes and expansion of settlements in East Jerusalem. It will correctly re-enforce the impression of the EU as a body that is well able to cry crocodile tears about the Palestinians and verbally pronounce in favour of a Palestinian state, but fundamentally supports the oppression of the Palestinian people.
This Protocol will mean the de facto entry of Israel into the single market. Those who claimed that this was a purely technical agreement are being extremely disingenuous. Of course it is political. It is a political endorsement of the policies of the right-wing Israeli government. Others claimed to be in favour because of the access to pharmaceutical goods that it may provide to European citizens. What about the rights of the people of Gaza to even basic medicines?
The Irish government has played a shameful role in this disgraceful decision. The distribution of a briefing to Irish MEPs calling for a Yes vote and describing the agreement as purely technical was an act carried out in the interests of the right-wing government in Israel. Anyone who thought that with a Labour Party Minister for Foreign Affairs that Ireland would develop a more progressive foreign affairs stance will have to think again. Those inside the Labour Party who consider themselves in favour of Palestinian rights should think again about the actions of their party in government.
Speaking on the proposed EU-Israel Trade upgrade
Paul Murphy speaking before the vote in parliament on the upgrading of the CAA protocol with Israel. If passed this will be taken as an endorsement by the right wing Netanyahu government of the oppression of the Palestinians. The video can be viewed here . Below is a press statement issued before the vote.
“A vital vote on EU-Israel relations will take place today in the European Parliament. This takes place in the shadow of the vicious assault by the Israeli Defence Forces in internatinoal waters on the MV Estelle bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza. They beat up and tasered peaceful activists including MPs on this boat. Of course, this is only a small reflection of the oppression faced by the Palestinian people.
“If the Protocol on CAA passes, with the consequent upgrading of trade relations between the EU and Israel, the current right wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu will interpret this as an endorsement from the EU of the oppression of the Palestinians. The blockade of Gaza continues to condemn almost two million people to live in an open air prison camp. The assault on Palestinians in East Jerusalem continues with an attempt to force Arabs out of Jerusalem through the demolition of their houses. No upgrading of trade relations with Israel should occur while this oppression persists. This Protocol must be rejected.
“This would be a shameful continuation of the policy of the EU, which has seen crocodile tears about the oppression of the Palestinians and a verbal commitment to a Palestinian state, at the same time as upgrading relations with the Israeli state.
“Outrageously, the Irish government briefing for MEPs recommends giving consent to this Protocol. It follows the Israeli line that this does ‘not represent any upgrading or major change in EU-Israel trade relations’. This is absolute rubbish. If it is passed, by eliminating technical barriers to trade, it will represent the first de facto entry of Israel into the single market. It is outrageous that an Irish government with a Labour Party Minister for Foreign Affairs could agree to such a development.”
Vital Vote on CAA with Israel – Parliament must reject it
Today a vital vote will take place in the European Parliament on EU-Israel relations.This takes place in the shadow of the vicious assault by the Israeli Defence Forces in international waters on the MV Estelle bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza. They beat up and tasered peaceful activists including MPs on this boat. Of course, this is only a small reflection of the oppression faced by the Palestinian people.
If the Protocol on CAA passes, with the consequent upgrading of trade relations between the EU and Israel, the current right wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu will interpret this as an endorsement from the EU of the oppression of the Palestinians. The blockade of Gaza continues to condemn almost two million people to live in an open air prison camp. The assault on Palestinians in East Jerusalem continues with an attempt to force Arabs out of Jerusalem through the demolition of their houses. No upgrading of trade relations with Israel should occur while this oppression persists. This Protocol must be rejected.
This would be a shameful continuation of the policy of the EU, which has seen crocodile tears about the oppression of the Palestinians and a verbal commitment to a Palestinian state, at the same time as upgrading relations with the Israeli state.
Outrageously, the Irish government briefing for MEPs recommends giving consent to this Protocol. It follows the Israeli line that this does ‘not represent any upgrading or major change in EU-Israel trade relations’. This is absolute rubbish. If it is passed, by eliminating technical barriers to trade, it will represent the first de facto entry of Israel into the single market. It is outrageous that an Irish government with a Labour Party Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore, could agree to such a development.
For further information on the CAA with Israel see this earlier article http://www.politico.ie/world-
I am the Socialist Party MEP for Dublin. 
