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Melbourne 'Right to Life' supporters brought forward their annual march, combined with the local church congregation which holds a monthly 'vigil' at the East Melbourne Fertility Clinic, and staged a march on Parliament House in opposition to MLC Cindy Broad's Private Member's bill on decriminalising abortion. In a counter demonstration, members and supporters of the Campaign for Women's Reproductive Rights were already in position on the steps of Parliament House to meet them. There was a good deal of pushing and shoving, watched with occasional interventions by the police, but despite the huge disparity of numbers - more than twenty to one - the pro-choice campaigners held their ground and their chants were more than equal to the right-to-lifers' PA system. The stand-off lasted the best part of two hours, with the church group doing laps of the block while the main march made its way from the assembly point in the Treasury Gardens through the CBD and up Bourke street to the Parliament.

Colleen Hartland, who holds the Western Metropolitan seat in State Parliament for the Victorian Greens, was at Parliament House early, and delivered a brief speech of support before apologising for having to leave for another engagement.

See also -

Media release from Victorian Greens

The Campaign for Women's Reproductive Rights - Pro-choice activist injured in clash
Monday Oct 17 08:09 AEST 

'Right to Life Australia'  - exposing the religious right ...

Radical Women