Anti-abortion rally chides Ahern

Amnesty International, the European Union, the United Nations, the HSE and the media were among those under attack at an anti-abortion rally in Dublin at the weekend.

While organisers said "about 2,000" people from across the State marched, gardaí estimated there were 400.

They walked from the GPO in O'Connell Street to Leinster House in the Youth Defence-organised event, which called on Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to "keep your pro-life promise".

Marchers were urged to reject the proposed new EU treaty when put to a referendum unless it is "avowedly pro-life".

There was an almost carnival atmosphere as the marchers turned into Molesworth Street from Dawson Street. From the stage awaiting them outside the Dáil a public address system played such music as stewards, coming ahead of the main body of the march danced and cheered.

Niamh Uí Bhriain,of the Mother and Child Campaign was the first to address the crowd. She said there was "an orchestrated attack on our way of life here by the United Nations and the EU" through what she described as their attempts to foist abortion on the Irish people.

"Never as long as we live and breathe will we accept the killing of children in our country. This is our country," she said. "We will hold back the attempts to kill our children."

Dennis O'Connor of Kerry Life and Family said the "best people in the country are assembled around me here today . . . Europe is about taking away our freedom. I hope I am looking at the politicians of the future here".

He said Christianity was the most persecuted religion in the world and that the EU was turning its back on Christianity. "It's being ignored in the [EU] constitution."

He said that unless the new EU treaty, which will be put to the electorate in a referendum, was clearly anti-abortion, "we must say No! No! No to this"!

Fr Brian McKevitt, editor of the Alive magazine, criticised the media, in particular The Irish Times. He said an editorial in the wake of the Ms D case "admitted she was carrying a baby but still believed that if the mother wanted to have it killed that was just fine." This was meant to be a civilised society, he said.

"Ms [Geraldine] Kennedy needs to realise that is anything but civilised."