On Saturday 2 December, pro-choice supporters will rally and march to defend abortion rights and to counter anti-choice conservatives. The rally starts at 1pm at Te Aro Park (Dixon/Manners) with speakers in the Park before marching.

“We will not sit by while reactionaries attempt to roll back our rights. We’ve worked for generations to ensure any pregnant person can get a safe and legal abortion,” said Zara, spokesperson for the Pōneke Anti-fascist Coalition.

“Anti-choice conservatives are holding their annual march on Saturday in an attempt to shut down reproductive freedom for all people. They will call for abortion to be made illegal and for an end to teenagers’ right to health privacy,”

“We are acutely aware of the change in government. We intend to hold Christopher Luxon to his word that abortion rights will not be relitigated under his government. We will be watching closely any moves to shift the dial down on access to abortion.”

“While in opposition, the National Party sought to introduce a range of amendments to the abortion legislation to limit rights. These include:

making it harder to get medical approval for abortion;

requiring providers to consider a pregnant person's ethnic/religious community attitudes towards abortion;

requiring providers to consider the input of a Māori person's whanau, iwi and hapū when deciding whether to provide an abortion;

removing requirements that medical practitioners who object to abortion at least tell people where they can get one; and

removing the rights of people under 16 to have an abortion without parental consent.

“We do not trust the current government to uphold its promise to respect our rights given their obvious agenda. It is imperative that anyone who cares about access to abortion remains vigilant.”

“No one should be forced to carry a pregnancy they do not want. Abortion is simply healthcare, and overwhelmingly, people in this country are in favour of it being available.”

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