U.S. Anti-Abortion Activists Are Spreading Clinic Protests Around the World

The Texas-based group 40 Days for Life has brought its aggressive tactics to more than 1,000 cities in 65 countries.

Jessica Bateman
January 9, 2023

There were four or five protesters outside Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, the first time Dr. Greg Irwin saw them. He was driving to his job as a consultant radiologist when he noticed the group hoisting placards opposite the parking lot, close to the maternity unit. BEFORE I FORMED YOU IN THE WOMB I KNEW YOU, one sign read, alongside a Bible reference. “Oh, my God,” Irwin thought. “It’s one of those American protests.”

After he parked in his usual spot, an older woman holding rosary beads smiled as he approached. “We’re holding a prayer vigil,” she explained, adding that they were offering “support and advice” to women. Irwin noticed their placards were branded with the logo of 40 Days for Life. When he googled the name later that night, he expected to find a local church organization. Instead, he discovered the shiny, high-budget website of a Texas-based group, emblazoned with pictures of men in sharp suits with dazzling white teeth. A counter in the corner ticked down the numbers of babies “saved” worldwide. Scrolling, he saw a map festooned with red pins, marking group locations all over the world. Irwin stared at his screen, bewildered. How could there be a connection between a group in Texas and the woman outside his hospital in Scotland?

Continued: https://newrepublic.com/article/169587/us-anti-abortion-activists-spreading-clinic-protests-around-world


‘We’re here’: Mexican groups slam U.S. abortion restrictions as they help more American women

"It’s a different world," said Sandra Cardona, a member of a Mexican network. A Latin American activist called the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision a "barbaric setback."

July 1, 2022
By Albinson Linares, Noticias Telemundo and Maricruz Gutiérrez

MONTERREY, Mexico — At first glance, it only looks like a roof terrace in a
house in Monterrey in the Mexican state of Nuevo León, two hours from the
border with the U.S.

It's a small space, with a kitchen and bathroom, called La Abortería, or the
abortion place, and it's become a haven for dozens of women and pregnant people
— both from Mexico and the United States — who have decided to interrupt their
pregnancy with the use of medication.

Continued: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/-mexican-groups-slam-us-abortion-restrictions-help-american-women-rcna36303


Colombia’s highest court legalizes abortion up to 24 weeks

By MANUEL RUEDA
Feb 21, 2022

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia became the latest country in Latin America to expand access to abortion Monday as the nation’s Constitutional Court voted to legalize the procedure until the 24th week of pregnancy.

The decision by the tribunal of nine judges fell short of the expectations of pro-choice groups that had been pushing for abortion to be completely decriminalized in Colombia. But it was nevertheless described as a historic event by women’s rights groups, which estimate 400,000 women get clandestine abortions in the country each year.

Continued: https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-colombia-caribbean-dominican-republic-e67b1f23461d071a92b31b77547770f3


Across Latin America, abortion restrictions are being loosened

BY PATRICK J. MCDONNELL, KATE LINTHICUM
SEP. 12, 2021

MEXICO CITY — A historic ruling by Mexico’s Supreme Court last week is the latest in a series of victories for abortion rights advocates in Latin America, a largely Roman Catholic region that has long had some of the world’s most restrictive laws against the procedure.

The vast majority of women in the region still lack access to legal abortions, but restrictions have now been lifted or relaxed over the last 15 years in at least half a dozen countries.

Continued: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-09-12/across-latin-america-abortion-restrictions-are-being-loosened


Abortion access will not expand in Colombia, court rules

Abortion access will not expand in Colombia, court rules

Colombian court shuts down landmark abortion case, but renews debate on legalisation, women's rights activists say.
by Megan Janetsky
Mar 2, 2020

Bogota - Colombia's Constitutional Court shut down a landmark abortion case on Monday that divided the South American country and offered what experts called an opportunity to "set a precedent for the region".

For 14 years, Colombian law allowed for abortions under three circumstances: if the mother's life was endangered, if the pregnancy was a product of rape or if the fetus is fatally deformed.

Continued: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/abortion-access-won-expand-colombia-court-rules-200302233612742.html