March for life
THE OXFORD LIFE counselling service's annual anti-abortion march came face-to-face with protesters from OUSU's pro-choice movement at Carfax last Saturday.
Pro-choice demonstrators picketed the corner of Cornmarket as the Oxford Life rally made its way through the city, carrying placards proclaiming 'Abortion Kills'. Antonia Bance, OUSU V-P (Women), who organised the counter-demo, described how they had been called 'murderers' by the anti-abortion protesters, who had "made an absolute mockery of their claim to be walking peacefully".
Students and residents from around Oxford gathered to support the protest against the anti-abortion rally, with over 40 protesters carrying banners and handing out leaflets and stickers to the public. Speaking to the Oxford Student, Bance said that the "vast majority of the country support a woman's right to choose...we want to make that point in Oxford". Feelings were running high among the demonstrators, as Lucy Stoy, an Oxford resident, confirmed: "women have more rights than an accidental pregnancy...I'm just here to support women."
Martin Flatman, chair of Oxford Life, stated, "we're not demonstrating against abortion," and insisted that the pro-choice protesters were confusing the organisation he represents with pro-life activists. Teddy Hall student Rebecca Wilson disagreed: "They are funded by the pro-life activists. It makes it very difficult to believe".
Flatman claims Oxford Life offers 'non-directive counselling' and aims to "help everyone make a better choice". However, when pressed to explain what is meant by 'non-directive', Flatman conceded that "there is no such thing as non-directive... it's non-directive as far as it can be...". Bance responded angrily to Flatman's claims, claiming that Oxford Life's counselling service is making "political capital out of women in a vulnerable time of their lives".
The rally follows a motion put to OUSU Council last Friday which proposed to overturn the ban on advertising for the Oxford Life counselling service in OUSU publications. The service was banned two years ago on the grounds that it did not offer 'non-directive' advice to pregnant women, which goes against OUSU's pro-choice policy. The motion failed by 65 votes to 7. Flatman insists that the march had nothing to do with the upheld ban.
6th Jun 2002