Lisbon, Portugal, Jan 30, 2007 / 09:33 am
More than 15,000 people marched through the streets of Lisbon on Sunday to demonstrate their support for the right to life and against the legalization of abortion, which will be decided by referendum on February 11.
The “March for Life,” organized by the Portuguese Association of Large Families, was divided into seven phases symbolizing each stage of life—conception, birth, infancy, adolescence, youth, adulthood, and old age.
The marchers carried signs calling for a “no” vote on the referendum and were led by pro-life politician Jose Ribeiro e Castro and former government ministers Ernani Lopes, Antonio Bagao Felix, and Jose Pedro Aguiar Branco.
Other well-known figures that joined in the march included popular singer Katia Guerreiro.
At the end of the march, participants applauded as messages of support from pro-life groups in Spain, France, Italy, and the United States were read.