Munich, Germany April 18 – Around 2,500 protesters gathered on Saturday for an anti-abortion rally, March for Life, at King’s Square, with counter-protests supporting pro-choice unfolding along the route.
Under Sections 218 and 218a of the German Criminal Code, abortion is technically a criminal offence punishable by fines or up to three years in prison.
It is permitted within the first 12 weeks under certain conditions, including state approval from a counselling centre.
Organised by a Munich group Voice of the Silent, the rally promoted messages like “protect life” and “every person is wonderful.”
Event speaker Mathias von Gersdorff said broader abortion access overlooks what he described as “the killing of children” and fosters a “culture of death.”
“Don’t give up on protecting the privileges of the unborn, and reject attempts to legalise abortion,” US Catholic bishop Robert Barron said in a video message.
“Keep on praying for the blessing from God when living in a secular environment,” he said.
“It is my responsibility to speak up for unborn babies in the womb who have no voice of their own to say they don’t want to die,” Fritz, 38, a participant whose brother has Down syndrome.
“My brother is a full and valued human being who is living a happy life even though he is sick. But if abortion is promoted, many babies with the same condition may not be born in the future as people would be influenced by eugenics,” she said.
Fritz called for more financial support for pregnant women, restrictions on organisations funding abortions and options for doctors to opt out.
“If public attitudes toward permitting abortion shift, that could directly influence individual decisions, given that the current legal restrictions are disregarded in practice,” Fritz added.
Christina Karmann, 21, a promoter from the partnering organisation Sunday for Life, showed images at an information booth, explaining the stages of pregnancy from conception to birth.
“Showing support within the community for pregnant women who initially feel unprepared to have a baby can let them realise that there are far better ways to address their situation than turning to abortion,” Karmann added.
Meanwhile, another rally, Pro-Choice, led by a local feminist alliance Pro Choice Munich, countered with chants of “my body, my choice, raise the voice,” demanding women’s freedom to decide whether to give birth.
The group frames abortion as a human right tied to sexual self-determination and seeks its full legalisation.
They criticise Christian fundamentalists and far‑right groups for promoting anti‑feminist views under the guise of family‑friendly peace, vowing to disrupt the march on their whistle-blowing website.
Their opposition targets not just abortion but also patriarchal family models and support for LGBTQ rights, they said on the website.
“The opposing side’s views are strongly shaped by the Bible, using slogans such as ‘you are the best woman if you are a mother,’ and in our view, the Bible was written by men and does not include women’s perspectives,” said Sabrina Huber, 32, a participant gathered by Pro Choice Munich.
“If men do not have a uterus, they should not be the ones deciding on abortion issues,” Huber added.
“Neither religion nor the state should determine whether abortion is banned,” she said.
《The Young Reporter》
The Young Reporter (TYR) started as a newspaper in 1969. Today, it is published across multiple media platforms and updated constantly to bring the latest news and analyses to its readers.
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