Pro-life activists will confront pro-choice campaigners this Saturday after a counter-protest was called to combat Malta’s first-ever rally for reproductive rights.

The events, which will take place on International Safe Abortion Day, will kick off at 2 pm.

‘Abortion in Malta? Not in my name!’ has issued a rallying cry for pro-life activists to turn up in their numbers in Great Siege Square, “to state clearly that the overwhelming majority in Malta are adamant that abortion would never be legalised in Malta”.

The event is hosted by Ivan Grech Mintoff, the leader of Alleanza Bidla who managed to get both main parties to pledge to entrench Malta’s abortion ban in the constitution.

The move came after Voice for Choice announced Malta’s first-ever pro-choice rally, which aims to raise “awareness on the challenges that pregnant people in Malta face to access safe abortion services” and to “challenge the stigma and taboo on Maltese women who have abortions”.

The rally is taking place in Hastings Gardens.

The topic of abortion remains taboo in Malta, however, the debate has reached the mainstream after several pro-choice groups began to form around the island, including one involving medical professionals.

Pro-life activists have been particularly vocal on reproductive issues, turning up in their droves to oppose the government’s IVF and surrogacy proposals. The groups yield strong influence over Malta’s politicians, achieving some result by taking surrogacy off the state’s agenda.

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