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Hundreds of people have taken part in a pro-choice abortion march in Dublin.<\/p>\nHundreds of people have taken part in a pro-choice abortion march in Dublin.<\/p>\n
Campaigners want the amount of time women must wait for a termination reduced in the Republic of Ireland.<\/p>\n
At present women must wait for three days after a doctor certifies they are no more than 12 weeks pregnant \u2013 characterized by the Government as a \u201ccooling off\u201d period.<\/p>\n
Official guidance says doctors may refuse to provide, or to participate in carrying out, a procedure, lawful treatment or form of care which conflicts with their sincerely-held ethical or moral values.<\/p>\n
It also sets out obligations that the doctor will have to the patient in such circumstances.<\/p>\n
A \u201cMarch for Choice\u201d from the Garden of Remembrance to Merrion Square today heard chants of: \u201cNo women left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abortion Rights Ireland said: \u201cActivists march because rural abortion access is vital in the fight for free, safe, legal, local (care).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only way we can ensure that there will be no-one left behind is the provision of more abortion services across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campaigners carried banners proclaiming \u201cThe North is next\u201d, while another said healthcare does not stop at the border.<\/p>\n
Abortion services are due to be introduced in Northern Ireland next year after Westminster legislated for them.<\/p>\n
In July, MPs passed the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Act.<\/p>\n
It placed a duty on the British Government to regulate to provide for access to abortion in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
It comes into effect if the Stormont executive is not restored by October 21, with regulations required to be in place by the end of March 2020.<\/p>\n
At the Dublin march, one woman had knitted a uterus with the word \u201cmine\u201d on it. Another sign said: \u201cI am a woman, not a womb.\u201d<\/p>\n
One participant wore a dinosaur costume, in reference to the DUP\u2019s anti-abortion stance.<\/p>\n
Niall Herron, a student and Amnesty International activist studying history and politics at Queens University Belfast, participated in the march.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWe were in Dublin to celebrate the referendum last year and to remind the Irish Government of its responsibility to carry out what the people voted for, but also to remind the entire island that Northern Ireland is still a place where abortion is illegal.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said it is three weeks until the procedure is decriminalized north of the border.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cIt is a first step, it will not satisfy those who have been working for so long, but it is a first step towards a safe environment for women to live in across the entire island of Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n