.- Abortion clinics in Spain have decided to go on strike January 8-12 and suspend services as a protest “in defense of our professionalism and the rights of women.”
The “Association of Accredited Clinics,” an umbrella group for all abortion clinics in Spain, said the protest was being organized in response to the crackdown on illegal abortions in Barcelona in December, which revealed that a number of clinics performing late-term abortions in violation of the law.
The Association said that during the “strike,” the only services that will be offered at clinics will be contraceptives and emergency treatment. While it has not issued an official press release, a draft copy leaked to the press indicated the Association intends to denounce the crackdown by police as a threat to women’s rights and security.
The Association claims it offers “important public health services” and that it is the target to “a political battle between the government and the opposition which could intensify as the general elections draw near.”
The official press release will likely refer to Spain’s law on abortion, which it describes as “a sexual and reproductive right secured more than 20 years ago and recognized by the international community.”
Some 32 abortion clinics in Spain will be participating in the five-day strike.
