“Life Rights Forum” was cancelled, Protest should take place anyway


That for the 14. November 2020 planned meetings of anti-abortionists will be canceled this year due to corona. The protests should take place anyway. We talked to feminism unlimited kassel on the fight for the legalization of abortions in Germany and the planned demonstration in Kassel.

Every November in the "Friedenshof", not far from downtown Kassel, the so-called "Lebensrechtforum" takes place. Behind it stands the association "Meetings of Christian Life Rights Groups", the 1986 emerged from an informal network and has since been actively campaigning against the right to abortion.

The in the German criminal code since 1871 existing paragraphs 218 (Prohibition of abortion with impunity in certain circumstances) and 219a (Prohibition of “advertising” abortion) have been changed again and again in the past through reforms. They would continue to stand in the way of the physical right to self-determination, criticizes feminism unlimited kassel.

The complaint against several gynecologists, because they had informed about the possibility of an abortion, led to a political debate about the two paragraphs. Paragraph 219a was then revised again. However, this is not an actual improvement. One of the indicated gynecologists, Kristina Hänel, am currently trying to have paragraph 219a declared unconstitutional by way of a Federal Constitutional Court judgment. Nonetheless, there would remain a general criminalization of abortion by paragraph 218.

“The supply situation for abortions in Germany, is already bad, because of the great stigma, which is accompanied by crashes. We want, that the criminal law paragraphs are deleted, also 218 and 219, because abortion is not a criminal act and cannot be prevented by criminalization. Abortion is a health care and a human right!“

In addition, there are not inconsiderable social and political forces in Germany, which would also like to tighten this. This also includes the TCLG with its "Life Rights Forum".

Since 28. October 2020 now stand firm, that the "Right to Live Forum" could not take place this year due to the corona. After it already 2019 There were protests against the event, want to keep the alliance this year as well. Because the networking of the so-called life protectors and their anti-feminist agenda are strong and present even without their meeting this year.

Such right-wing interest groups can exert considerable influence on political decision-makers through lobbying. In Poland, for example, so the government-critical newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, be the right one, Catholic think tank Ordo Iuris the driving force behind the abortion ban. Hundreds of thousands have been protesting against its further tightening there for weeks. Nice 2016 had prevented mass protests, that an anti-abortion law penned by Ordo Iuris has been passed by the Polish government.

Globally, women * and queers have been fighting for years against the tightening of abortion laws and against the control of bodies through the restriction of reproductive rights. We also want to show solidarity with these struggles, with those in Argentina, Poland, the USA etc..

In addition, this should be pointed out with the demonstration, that in Germany too, Christian fundamentalism and extreme right-wing ideology sometimes go hand in hand, to push back emancipatory achievements. This closeness was recently made clear by the participation of AfD functionaries in the so-called March for Life on 19. September 2020 in Berlin.

So far it has been assumed, that the demonstration on 14. November 2020 with appropriate hygiene measures, Masks and sufficient spacing are feasible. But alternatives are already being considered in the event of a ban: "Speeches can also be streamed and banners and posters can be made visible to a few people in public space."

The demonstration starts at 12 Pm at the Kassel town hall.