Pro-Choice Campaigners to Fly Drone With Abortion Pills Across Irish Border

By Reuters
Planned Parenthood
People walk past a Planned Parenthood clinic in the Manhattan borough of New York, November 28, 2015.  REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Pro-choice groups plan to fly a drone carrying abortion pills from Ireland to Northern Ireland in protest against restrictions on terminations on both sides of the border, activists said on Thursday.

Organizers said the move was intended as a show of solidarity between women facing some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe.

In Ireland and Northern Ireland, abortion is permitted if the mother's life is in danger. In Northern Ireland, it is also allowed if there is a permanent or serious risk to a woman's mental or physical health.

But in the rest of Britain, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks into pregnancy and can be carried out at a later stage if the mother's life is at risk or if there are indications the baby will suffer a serious disability.

"The abortion drone will mark the different reality for Irish women to access safe abortionservices compared to women in other European countries where abortion is legal," pro-choice groups behind the protest said in a statement.

The drone drop, planned for next Tuesday, comes two months after a court in Belfast, Northern Ireland, handed a suspended prison sentence to a woman who bought abortion drugs online.

Campaigners have long called for a relaxing of the abortion laws in Northern Ireland, where the maximum penalty for inducing an abortion is life imprisonment.

In Ireland, a traditionally Catholic country, a complete ban on terminating a pregnancy was lifted in 2013 after large street protests from both sides.

In June a U.N. panel ruled that Ireland's regulations subjected women to discriminatory, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment after a woman complained she was denied treatment and forced to choose between carrying her baby with a fatal congenital defect to term and going abroad for an abortion.

Campaigners said the drone, scheduled to fly over the Newry River, will drop abortion pills which a number of non-pregnant women are expected to take. Organizers said consuming abortionpills was legal unless they were taken for the purposes of a termination.

"The purpose of taking the pills is to show they are safe because in the North (Northern Ireland) there is a lot of scaremongering around the issue," said Courtney Robinson, a spokeswoman for Labour Alternative, one of the four pro-choice groups involved in the protest.

The protest is the second of its kind as Women on Waves delivered abortion pills from Germany to Poland in June last year.

    Most Popular
  • Is 'The Last Supper' worth watching? Audience and critics weigh in

    Is 'The Last Supper' worth watching? Audience and critics weigh in

    Faith-based films often receive mixed reactions, and The Last Supper is no exception. The movie attempts to bring a fresh perspective to one of the most iconic moments in Christian history, but does it succeed? Some reviews from critics and audiences provide insight into its strengths and shortcomings.

  • ‘The Chosen’ Season 5: The darkest season yet—What to know before watching

    The wait is over—The Chosen is back with its fifth season, and this time, things are getting intense. The new episodes dive straight into the final days of Jesus’ life, covering some of the most emotional and dramatic moments in the Bible. If you’ve been following the series, you already know that The Chosen isn’t just about retelling familiar stories—it’s about bringing them to life in a way that feels real.

  • Massacres in Syria: Over 1,000 dead, including Christians and Alawites

    Syria’s coastal regions have been devastated by a series of massacres, with reports indicating that over 1,000 people—many from Christian and Alawite communities—have been killed in brutal attacks. Entire families have been wiped out, and survivors are fleeing in search of safety as sectarian violence escalates.

  • Kim Sae-ron and Wheesung: The tragic irony of Korean society and the principles of happiness

    Not long ago, the media was in an uproar over actress Kim Sae-ron’s passing. Just months before, the same people who had relentlessly criticized her for her DUI incident were now expressing sympathy, saying, "The world was too harsh on her." The irony is impossible to ignore.

  • Newsboys move forward as a quartet after Michael Tait’s departure

    After more than a decade as the lead singer of the Newsboys, Michael Tait has officially parted ways with the band, marking a significant shift in the Christian rock group’s lineup. The remaining members—Jeff Frankenstein, Jody Davis, Duncan Phillips, and Adam Agee—have assured fans that they will continue forward, embracing a new season of music and ministry.

Top Stories