ITALY: TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE MARCH TO PROTEST AGAINST A CONTROVERSIAL VOTE ON ABORTION WHICH HAS PLUNGED THE COUNTRY INTO A NEW POLITICAL CRISIS.

Record ID: 648391

  • Title: ITALY: TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE MARCH TO PROTEST AGAINST A CONTROVERSIAL VOTE ON ABORTION WHICH HAS PLUNGED THE COUNTRY INTO A NEW POLITICAL CRISIS.
  • Date: 4th April 1976
  • Summary: 1. SV Demonstrators with banners leading march 0.27 2. SV Woman pushing child in march among others 0.35 3. SV & CU Demonstrators marching along (2 shots) 1.01 4. GV Demonstrators march along road 1.07 5. GV Demonstrators chanting and singing 1.25 Initials DE/PN/BB/2200 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 19th April 1976 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVA1IL01BTXYYUGHNCADBMGD3UNA
  • Story Text: About 10,000 people took part in a protest march in Rome on Saturday (3 April) to express their anger over a controversial vote on abortion which has plunged the country into a new political crisis.

    The bitter political row broke out on Thursday night (1 April) after the ruling Christian Democrats, aided by the Neo-Fascist MSI Party, voted in a highly restrictive amendment to a bill seeking to legalise abortion.

    The amendment, which limited abortion only to cases of rape or when health was at risk, ended weeks of efforts to achieve a delicate political compromise.

    The fragile minority government of Prime Minister, Aldo Moro, bombarded with furious reaction from all sides, must now find a way out of the present dilemma or face a national referendum on abortion or premature elections, from which the powerful Communists are expected to profit.

    The Socialists and Social Democrats -- on whom the 51-day-old government depends for its survival -- have announced that they will fight the bill as it stands now.

    The marchers in the demonstration carried placards and changed slogans. They want the decision on abortion to lie solely with the mother concerned, and have rejected an offer by the Christian Democrats to include economic, social and family factors as grounds for legal abortions.

    Until now, abortions have been a crime under all circumstances.

    SYNOPSIS: The right to have a legal abortion has plunged Italy into a new political crisis. The bitter political row broke out on Thursday after the ruling Christian Democrats, aided by the neo-fascist M.S.I. Party voted in a highly restrictive amendment to a bill seeking to legalise abortion. This action resulted in this demonstration in Rome on Saturday.

    The amendment seeks to limit abortion only to cases of rape or when heath is at risk. The demonstrators want the decision on abortion to lie solely with the women concerned. The argument has threatened the survival of the fragile minority government of Prime Minister, Aldo Moro. It seems the only way out of the dilemma is to change the law or face a national referendum on abortion or premature elections. The powerful Communist party is expected to gain support from the latter course.

    The amendment has met with furious reaction from all sides and the pro-abortionists have rejected an offer by the Christian Democrats to include economic, social and family factors as grounds for legal abortions. Until now, abortions have been a crime under all circumstances.
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