Arrests at pro-choice protest in Dublin

By Liz Dunphy

Arrests were made by Gardaí this evening at a solidarity protest in Dublin, which called for charges to be dropped against a women in the North who is currently being prosecuted for supplying the abortion pill to her daughter.

Leia o Mahony from Clondalkin with Supporters and members of the Real-Productive Health and Workers Solidarity Movement during a solidarity protest at the GPO Dublin.

Pro-choice activists reportedly tried to unfurl a banner on the roof of the GPO before the arrests were made.

Gardaí said that four men have been arrested on public order offences, the men are all in their mid to late 20s.

The incidents took place at approximately 6.40pm this evening by the GPO and Henry’s Street in Dublin.

Rose Gartland and Andrea Brown both from Drumcondra with Supporters & members of the Real-Productive Health and Workers Solidarity Movement.

The men were all taken to Store Street Garda station. One man has been charged, he has since been released to appear at a later stage. The other three men remain in custody.

The case of the unnamed woman in the North, who is being prosecuted for procuring abortion pills for her daughter has inspired other protests in the North in recent days, and a letter has been signed by 200 pro-choice activists, admitting to breaking the same law and demanding that the current charges be dropped against the woman, or they should also be prosecuted.

Supporters and members of the Real-Productive Health and Workers Solidarity Movement during a solidarity protest at the GPO Dublin this evening.

Access to abortion in Northern Ireland is severely restricted, according to current law it, “is only legal in exceptional circumstances if the life or long-term health of a pregnant woman is at risk”.

Abortion is not currently legal in the North in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality.

Today, a Court in London ruled against a case taken by a woman from the North, who challenged the law that prevents women from Northern Ireland from accessing free abortions in the UK on the NHS.

Women in the UK can access abortion legally, and for free through the UK National Health Service (NHS).

UK abortion laws continue to be as restrictive as Ireland's ... in one province only. #guesswhere http://t.co/xQUAP8pgQI^gdnnews

— @sinead_ryan (@sinead_ryan) July 22, 2015