Thousands rally against abortion in Croatia
Pro-lifers took to the streets on Saturday in Croatia for the Walk for Life. Several thousand people took part in the 6th annual pro life march in the centre of Zagreb.
Organisers advocate for the protection of every human life, from conception to natural death - including protecting the elderly against euthanasia.
The motto of this year's march was - For the protection of every human life, without any discrimination. "It's our duty to advocate for protection of every human life, including unborn children", said Luka Hudincec, one of the organisers of the rally.
"We organized this Walk for Life in order to support every born and unborn child, and every mother who finds herself in a difficult situation. Research shows that 75 percent of women who have opted for an abortion chose to do so due to financial difficulties or the lack of peer support," said coordinator Andreja Kotnik.
The marchers in capital Zagreb waved Croatian flags, sang patriotic songs and carried banners such as "Unborn lives matter, too".
The march was held from the western parts of the downtown to Zrinjevac park. Due to the size of the march, police had to stop traffic in that part of Zagreb during the walk.
Killing unborn babies is legal until the 10th week of pregnancy in Croatia under a 1978 law from when the country was still part of socialist Yugoslavia.
But more and more doctors in Croatia now refuse to carry out abortions.
The annual rally came a day before local elections.
"We expect the politicians who represent us on both local and national level to uphold the basic human right -- the right to live", said the organisers.