F 486 contra RU 486

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,

Specialists, general physicians, nurses and midwives come from all over Portugal to attend the workshop for medical professionals.

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.

Na terça-feira de manhã, a dra Rebecca Gompert participou no debate denominado: Frente a Frente Com o Barco do Aborto no programa SIC 10 Horas. Embora o conceito original deste talkshow português não seja o de um programa de informação, milhares de mulheres portuguesas assistem ao programa.

Explaning how to do an abortion on television

Ontem, pouco antes da meia-noite, no fim duma audiência que tinha começado às 10 da manhã, o Tribunal Fiscal e Administrativo de Coimbra decidiu que a Women on Waves estava a utilizar a lei abusivamente para ajudar as mulheres.

As membros do Parlamento Holandês L. van der Laan dos Democratas 66 (D66) e K. Arib do Partido Trabalhista (PvdA) vieram ontem a Lisboa para participar numa discussão com o Partido Socialista português (PS) e com o Bloco de Esquerda (BE). Hoje vão visitar o Borndiep, a visita faz parte do programa de apoio.

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.

O Parlamento Holandês enviou uma carta ao Ministro dos Negócios Estranjeiros Bot, e pediu oficilmente a este que apoiasse a Women on Waves e facilitasse a sua entrada em àguas territoriais Portuguesas. Bot já contactou o Ministro dos Negócios Estranjeiros Português acerca do Borndiep, pedindo-lhe que desse permissão ao barco para entrar àguas territoriais.

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.

Francisco Louça, do Bloco de Esquerda, tentou navegar o Borndiep rumo ao porto da Figueira da Foz a 31 de Agosto, mas foi travado pelas embarcações da Marinha que circundam a pequena embarcação. Ao contactar radiofónicamente a partir do Borndiep, deixou claro que era um cidadão Português e membro do parlamento, assim como afirmou pretender dirigir a embarcação à Figueira da Foz.

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.

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.