Feminist group ROSA is holding a rally at the Spire this afternoon, with demonstrations also taking place in Cork, Limerick, Galway and Belfast.
Pro-choice campaigners are demanding the National Maternity Hospital doesn't go ahead if the land it's built on is leased by St. Vincents Hospital Group.
Government didn’t push for full ownership of the site because it could have delayed the project, according to the Minister for Health.
The State is continuing to insist that the 299-year lease it holds over the land is ownership in all but name.
Minister Donnelly said the legal agreements protecting the clinical independence of the new hospital are ‘set, agreed and bulletproof’.
Those of us who fought for #repeal know it took a movement; it’ll take the same to defend abortion rights in the US. In Irel the 1st maternity hospital since Repeal is under lease & influence of nuns who ran laundries.
Join @RosaWomen protests #RoeVWade #NMH #NoGoingBack pic.twitter.com/qfJoyHCwbJ— Ruth Coppinger (@RuthCoppingerSP) May 6, 2022
Roe v. Wade
Socialist feminist group ROSA says protesting against the hospital plans must be paired with opposition to the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States.
"Solidarity standouts will be held in cities around the country to send support to our siblings in the US facing a potential ban on abortion and the overturning of progressive rights," ROSA said in a press release.
"These protests will also demand the current National Maternity Hospital deal doesn't proceed and the hospital is secular and public."
ROSA spokesperson Ruth Coppinger said this is a historic moment for the rights of women and LGBT+ people globally.
"That abortion rights could be removed in arguably the richest, most developed country in the world is unthinkable," Coppinger said.
"Here in Ireland, we won't accept out National Maternity Hopsital being under lease and influence of a religious order that ran Magdalene Laundries. This current deal must be stopped."
