Thousands of anti-IVG demonstrators march in Paris for the March for Life

This Sunday, January 19, 2025, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Veil law legalizing voluntary interruption of pregnancy (abortion) in France, several thousand people took part in the March for Life in Paris. The procession, organized by conservative and Catholic movements, set off from the Place du Trocadéro in the early afternoon, chanting slogans in favor of the “defense of life” and against abortion and euthanasia.

A controversial mobilization

According to the organizers, more than 10,000 demonstrators were expected to take part in this edition marking a “sad anniversary”, that of the Veil law passed in 1975. Participants, including many families and young people, carried banners and placards bearing messages such as “Life is a right, not a choice” and “Protecting the weak is strong”. They denounced what they saw as the “exclusion” of millions of unborn children over the past half-century.

The president of the Marche pour la vie collective, Nicolas Tardy-Joubert, criticized a policy that he sees as “encouraging abortion” rather than proposing alternatives. Their demands include a mandatory ultrasound scan in the sixth week of pregnancy to hear the fetal heartbeat, the re-establishment of a mandatory reflection period before any abortion, and greater support for anonymous childbirth.

A tense bioethical context

This demonstration comes at a time when debates on reproductive and bioethical rights remain heated in France. Despite the recent constitutionalization of the right to abortion in January 2024, pro-life activists continue to contest this legislative development. They also oppose any legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia, calling for the reinforcement of palliative care in the name of “respect for life”.

Faced with this mobilization, feminist and pro-choice associations have organized counter-demonstrations in Paris. They denounced the move as an attempt to undermine women's rights, pointing out that more than 243,000 abortions were performed in 2023, a figure they believe illustrates the need to improve access to contraception and sex education rather than restrict recourse to abortion.

A divisive debate

The March for Life has become an annual event since its creation in 2005. While it brings together several thousand people every year, it also generates considerable tension. Incidents have occasionally broken out during previous editions with feminist groups such as the Femen, who regularly protest against the event.

Fifty years after the Veil law, the abortion debate remains deeply polarized in France. Between defenders of the right to freely dispose of one's body and advocates of greater protection for embryos from the moment of conception, ethical and societal issues continue to fuel discussions in the public arena.