Small, calm, quiet, hidden

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.

The gathered participants were almost all men, and justified the lack of women by saying that the women were at home taking care of the babies. They thought that the Women on Waves campaign was what they called an Agitprop campaign, agitation propaganda, a bunch of dutch do-gooders that came to Portugal to wag their fingers at the people like they were stupid, some third world in need of missionaries.


The participants were under the impression that Women on Waves was coming to Portugal to hand out abortion pills, even though Women on Waves' mission statement clearly explains they want to obey all laws. If this wasn't the case, they wouldn't need the ship they sail in the first place.

They thought that abortion was not the right solution to the unwanted pregnancy problem. According to them, there were so many kinds of contraceptives you could use so that unwanted pregnancy would not be an issue at all. But in the meanwhile, the association Human Life International has always stated they were pro sexual education, but have always voted against providing extra funds for sexual education in schools.

pro life poster
One of the posters hung on the streets of Figueira da Foz on the 3rd of September. Photo by Nadya Peek for Women on Waves
pro life boys
photographed by Lisa Rave for Women on Waves
pro life moving
Pro life mobilised. Photo by Lisa Rave for Women on Waves.
pro life protesters
A gathering of pro lifers, who decided to wallpaper Figueira da Foz with posters that said Who loves does not Kill. Photo by Lisa Rave for Women on Waves.

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