Medics for freedom

Two days after the ship arrived back in the Netherlands and the treatment stored again till the next campaign, the European Parliament debates the events in Portugal.
This is what Constant Brand, an associated press writer, reports

As planned the Dutch Women on Waves team flies back home. But since the ship has left, some opinion polls have been published,

For the last time the Portuguese shuttle boat visits the Borndiep in international waters to brings the last supplies before the ship will sail back to the Netherlands later that afternoon. It is the last opportunity for journalists to see the ship.

The Misoprostol webpage and the medicines Cytotec and Arthrotec are shown all over the television and in the newspapers.

On Tuesday morning, Rebecca Gomperts was featured on the Portuguese talkshow SIC 10 horas, in a show titled: Face to Face Abortion Boat. This Portuguese talkshow does not perhaps contain the most cutting edge reporting, but does reach thousands of Portuguese women.

Explaning how to do an abortion on television

The fundamental rights to freedom of movement, information, reunion, expression and manifestation of the ship’s crew, Women on Waves and the Portuguese organisations are violated by the decision of Paulo Portas and we have asked the judge to overturn the decision and allow the ship to enter in the harbour.

The Dutch members of Parliament Lousewies van der Laan from Democrats 66 (D66) and Khadija Arib from the Labor Party (PvdA) fly to Portugal. This evening they participate in a discussion with the Portuguese Socialist Party (PS), the Left Block (BE) and the Communist Party.

The Borndiep is out of fuel and running low on drinking water. Once more the captain requests to enter the port, this time only to refuel. The harbor authorities do not even answer on the emergency channel.

At 1:00AM a Catholic church group gathered before the Figueira da Foz town hall to hang pro life posters sponsered by Human Life International and Pró Vida e Pró Familia Brasil. The slogan was: Who loves does not kill.

About 250 people protest against the decision of the Portuguese government to forbid the Women on Waves ship to enter Portugal outside the official residence of the prime minister of Portugal, Santana Lopes in Lisbon.

Politicians have been making statements left and right, the European Commission has started grinding, the press has been all over since the beginning, activism organizations have been mobilizing their volunteers, but now, now finally Portuguese people are starting to voice their opinion on abortion and the coming of the Borndiep.

The Portuguese Parliamentarians, Francisco Louçã from the Portuguese Left Block, Jamila Madeira, member of European Parliament and Odete Santos from the Communist Party attempt to sail the Borndiep into Portuguese waters, but are stopped by the surrounding military boats.

In an effort to help realize Women on Waves' goals, Juventude Socialista (JS), the youth section of Portugal's Socialist Party (PS), sails to the Borndiep and holds a press conference there.

A closer-up picture of the F486 Baptista de Andrade, the war ship that is blocking Borndiep's way. Would the Portugese navy know that Mifepristone, the abortion pill, is also known as RU 486? Are they making fun of us?

Two Portuguese war ships monitor the movements of the Borndiep during 24 hours to prevent the ship from entering national waters. The captain continues to ask for permission to enter the harbor of Figueira da Foz. Unfortunately the harbor authorities are not responding to its attempt to communicate.

In the afternoon we have an improvised press conference after we hear that the Portuguese Minister of defense Paulo Portas refused the Women on Waves ship “Borndiep�? permission to enter national waters.

In the morning Women on Waves visits the harbormaster of Figueira da Foz and officially requests him to authorize their entrance into the harbor.