A rally has been held in Dublin City Centre calling for a referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment.
The gathering was staged in support of a bill but forward by People Before Profit and the Anti Austerity Alliance which is calling for a referendum on the 8th.
The bill is to be debated in the Dáil this coming Tuesday.
Participants gathered at the Spire dressed in black and were given pink “shackles” in the form of the number eight.
Not the Church, not the State, women must decide their fate #repealthe8th #rallyforrepeal pic.twitter.com/c7JiSu0sBh
— People Before Profit (@pb4p) October 22, 2016
The organisers said young people in Ireland need to be given the opportunity to vote – as the last referendum on the matter was held in 1983.
The new Citizens' Assembly will be discussing and debating the issue next month in Dublin Castle, however People Before Profit TD, Bríd Smith said the Government needs to call a referendum on the issue as soon as possible:
Socialist Party TD, Ruth Coppinger said a majority of people in Ireland “now support a referendum.”
"While the establishment dithers and delays and convenes its Citizens' Assembly for up to another year, women accessing abortion via the pill or travelling abroad continues unabated and that will not change," she said.
