Cork, Ireland - The Dutch-based Women on Waves Foundation docked its controversial abortion boat in the southern Irish city of Cork on Friday.
The pro-abortion group, whose plans to do offshore abortions on Irish women were scuppered earlier this month by legal problems, was greeted at the quayside in Ireland's second largest city by a tight knot of protesters waving pro-life banners and chanting "Stop murdering babies."
The Aurora, a 35-meter converted fishing boat with a makeshift abortion facility welded to its deck, sailed into a storm of publicity when it arrived in Dublin two weeks ago. Abortion is illegal in the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic Irish republic and more than 6,000 women travel to Britain from Ireland each year for terminations.
Women on Waves has been criticised for embarking on its voyage without the necessary permits under Dutch law to carry out abortions, and for doing what could be extremely dangerous abortions.
The group has vowed to return with the required paper work. "We will leave Cork on Monday and return to the Netherlands where we will sort out our legal difficulties and then return to Ireland, hopefully before the end of the year," spokeswoman Joke van Kampen said.
She said the trip had been successful in highlighting the abortion issue, and that some 500 Irish women had contacted the group for information and free contraceptives during its stay. Shortly after the Aurora tethered at one of Cork's inner city quays, a small fishing boat hired by pro-life advocates tied up nearby.
Eddie Mullans, spokesman for around 10 unaffiliated protesters, said the boat would remain for the duration of the Aurora's stay.
"We're here to register our opposition to what they (Women on Waves) are doing. We respect them as human beings but we disagree with them," he said.
Dublin-based Human Life International Ireland, which also opposes abortion, said it planned to stage a "peaceful, prayerful, non-confrontational vigil" at the quayside throughout the weekend.
Pro-Life Infonet
24. juni 2001